Oh Brother
by pajama pants5
Summary: Aria and Jason never would consider themselves "friends" but when they find common ground to stand on, will they be able to walk without falling through the cracks? With senior year just starting for Aria and a new 'A' looming in their midst, who will Aria turn to for support? Can Jason handle all this drama or is he hiding something himself...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there everyone! This is my first Pretty Little Liars Fanfiction so I hope everything turns out alright. Depending on the response I get from this chapter and the next will determine if I keep going or not so please give input, good or bad!**

**I'm going to stick with the main points of the show but of course I want to be original with the Aria/Jason pairing so things may not follow exactly and I will be adding things to keep it interesting! I hope you enjoy!**

**-Cheyenne**

"Aria!" I could hear my dad yelling from the base of the stairs. "Aria, are you ready yet!?"

I rolled my eyes at my father's never ending impatience. I was standing in front of my mirror finishing up the curls in my hair, using the light casting in from the sun through the blinds of my window.

It was the first day of senior year and I was more than ready to begin fresh. I took a good look at myself in the mirror. When freshman year started, I was a tomboyish out cast taken in by the most popular girl in school, Alison DiLaurentis. We had never talked before then, let alone hung out considering are polar opposite tastes in… well, everything.

Our clothes never matched, our personalities clashed with one another, she was out spoken as I would rather keep to myself and my journal, she had light hair which contrasted with my dark, she was absolutely beautiful and I was average.

She was the reason I dreaded high school. That was of course, before we became friends.

It was funny, she was the one who walked up to me one day and complimented my outfit. I had been wearing a black band t-shirt with a spiked belt and a long skirt. My signature pink streak in my hair was clearly noticeable due to the fact I just had it dyed the day before school started.

"_Aria!" Alison called after me as I was walking up the front stairs of Rosewood High._

"_Ummm… yes?"_

_I looked at Ali with a look of curiosity and fear. Alison DiLaurentis had a reputation as being the queen bee in school, meaning she could be as ruthless and cruel as she felt necessary. _

_She strutted up the stairs and gave me a good look up and down, her eyes never leaving me. As she began circling around me I could feel chills down my spine like I was being judged. I could feel her eyes all over me and braced myself for the worst. _

_Once she walked back to my front, her heels clicking on the pavement, she gave me a curt smile. _

"_I've always liked you Aria." She said, catching me off guard. "You have your own style and you don't give a damn what people think about it… I wish there were more people in this town like you."_

I put down my curling iron to let the machine cool and I began to twirl my hair where the pink streak had been. There was still a slight discoloration which had a barely noticeable redish tint. I smiled at the memory. That exact day, I became best friends with my worst enemy.

But that was 3 years ago. Ali went missing only for her body to be discovered a year later, my friends Hanna, Spencer, Emily and I were being stalked by a crazy pycho pretending to be our dead best friend by dubbing herself, 'A.' It turned out to be Hanna's best friend Mona whose jealousy over took her because of Hanna's reconnected friendship with us.

Not only that, but I ended up dating my old English teacher Mr. Ezra Fitz, who was the light of my high school life for the longest time.

I smiled at the thought of him. My parents weren't really on the same page with our relationship, forcing us to split further and futher apart. I didn't like the fact that we still had to be semi-secretive with our relationship so I broke it off. My feelings were still there for Ezra, but I knew it just couldn't play out well for us in the end.

"Aria! It's time to go! Mike's already in the car!"

"I'm coming!" I sighed. Dropping my hair from my hand, I grabbed my purse from off the end of my bed and jogged out the door, leaving the tormenting memories of 'A' behind me.

As I was walking down the stairs my father tossed me an apple to eat on the way. Ever since the Mona thing became big news he wanted to try to reconnect with the family and become a better father figure. Meredith had gone out of the picture and I could tell my dad was trying. I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

"Drive safely." He told me before I stepped out the door. "I'll be at Hollis today and your mom has errands to run after school, so make sure Mike has a ride home after Lacrosse."

I gave my dad a smile and said "Okay" before I shut the door behind me and jumped in the car. Mike was giving me this glare for being late and decided to tune out my apology with his earbuds. I rolled by eyes and gave him a little shove. He gave me a fake smile and looked back out the window.

Mike had been acting a little strange lately, disappearing late at night and becoming distant with the family. It was frustrating for me not knowing what was wrong with my little brother. We had always been so close so seeing him so far gone was upsetting.

* * *

After a long silent car ride we pulled into the school and almost immediately, Mike stormed out of the car, yanking his lacrosse stick out and hitting the door in the process.

"Hey!" I yelled. Mike barely turned around. "What is up with you? Is something wrong?"

He finally turned the whole way around enough for me to see his piercing eyes.

"Yea… you're still in my business!"

Mike began to whip his body around, lacrosse stick in hand, but what he didn't see was a figure standing behind him. As Mike whirled around his stick was caught by an ever quick hand.

"Watch where you're swinging that thing." He said seriously.

My jaw dropped as I saw Mike almost whap that man over the head with his stick, but as soon as I saw who I was looking at, I stood frozen. Gazing down into my brother's eyes was Jason DiLaurentis.

Mike looked a little taken back at first but soon enough his demeanor changed back into a hateful one. He jerked his stick free and scoffed at the older man before adjusting his backpack and stalking away. "Get out of my way." He said as he shoved past him.

I shut my car door with my mouth still ajar.

"I can't believe he's really acting like this." I mumbled to no one in particular.

As I walked around to the other side of my car I could feel a pair of eyes on me. I knew they were Jason's and in most cases I would be taken aback by it. It was no secret that everyone was a little hesitant toward the older DiLaurentis sibling due to his shady past and almost secret life. Hell, the girls and I suspected him as Ali's killer a few years ago, but the only thing I could think about right now was Mike, and what the hell could be bothering him so much.

I could feel Jason's eyes never leaving mine and it took me a few seconds to regain my wits and look at him.

He was about 3 feet away from me standing tall and looking as fit as ever. His blonde hair that was once long was now trimmed to a shorter length with a few stands still straying in his face. He wore a plain gray shirt with casual jeans and dress shoes. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his face showed no emotion; it wasn't an awkward look, just one that I was used to seeing off of the older man's face.

"I'm really sorry about him." I finally said looking back to where Mike once walked. "I don't know what's gotten into him."

I saw Jason just give and understanding nod and followed my gaze back to a disappearing Mike.

"It's not a big deal." He finally said.

This time it was my turn to nod and things were once again silent. It was no secret that Jason and I never really had a history. He was just the older brother of my former best friend and never anything more. We never really crossed paths except for a few times and even during those circumstances it was just small talk. It's not like we didn't like each other as people, just that we never really got to know one another.

"So are you here to council again this year?" I finally asked, grabbing my books and walking towards the front doors of the school.

I never looked back at Jason but I could tell he was contently following me.

"Yea. I don't mind the job. It helps me get my mind off of things."

_Like Ali's murder… _I thought to myself. Jason had always been a quiet person, never really one to talk much, but that was something I liked about him. His calming sense of solitude was refreshing in a gossiping town like Rosewood.

"I hear you. It's nice to have your mind focused on things when there's always news going around."

I thought back to Maya, who is still MIA as of 2 weeks ago when she first disappeared. Emily had been crushed and is still not back to normal but I can't blame her. Her first love was missing and it most likely had to do with 'A.' Even though Mona was behind Radley's bars, I couldn't help but wonder if there was really more to the big picture.

It was no coincidence that Maya disappeared just days before Mona was admitted to Radley's Institution for the Criminally Insane. There was much more to this 'A' thing that even Spencer's mind might explode.

Even after everything was said and done, I've still been jumpy and cautious about everything I do. I've changed the locks on my doors, and even changed my phone number so that only my close personal friends could have it, which included the four of us, family, Caleb, Toby and Maya, just in case she were to ever reappear.

I have taken several steps to get 'A' out of my life, but in Rosewood, news never seems to leave. Mona is plastered all over the papers and on TV, plus Maya is still missing so the search for her always brings back questions to us.

"Aria?"

I snapped my head back to the man standing next to me. Jason was giving me this confused looked as he opened the front door for me to step threw.

"W-What?" I stammered, trying to regain my senses.

"I asked if you knew anything knew about that girl. Maya?"

"Yea, Maya." I answered him. "Nothing new yet."

Jason only nodded as we continued to walk down the hallways of Rosewood High. I wasn't expecting him to follow me the whole way to my locker so when he did I stopped and turned.

His arms were once again crossed over his crest and he was piercing me with those deep blue eyes.

"Um… what?" I asked confused, almost rudely.

"You're not like them." He said simply. I gave him a puzzled look as if asking him to continue. "All of Ali's friends have secrets, Aria, including yourself. But unlike them you don't snoop or pry. You let things fall into place.

"I don't understand…" I said after a long pause. He sighed, running his hand through his blond locks.

"All I'm saying is I never understood why Ali befriended you. Out of everyone you where the one who didn't play all her games."

I chuckled. "Everyone Ali knew she played games with."

"That's what I'm trying to say. You _didn't _let her play you. Never take that for granted."

Jason's tone was one I couldn't decipher. The man of mystery was what Hanna use to call him back when we were kids, but I never knew how right she was until right now, looking into his eyes.

Why was he saying this to me now? Was there some kind of underlying meaning to it? I had no clue, but instead of sending chills down my spine, it was almost comforting in a way to know I wasn't like Ali. She ruined some people's lives, like Mona, and deceived a lot of people with a mind beyond her years.

_Buzz Buzz_

I looked down at my purse and then back up to Jason. He raised an eyebrow as I gave him a polite smile and began to search for my phone. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Hanna doing the same thing, as well as Spencer and Emily across the hall.

I pulled out my iPhone and opened the text message from 'Blocked ID'

_Alison may have never played you, but I sure will. Watch your back bitches; I'm back with a score to settle. –A_

**First chapters are always slow. So read the second one before you judge too bad!**

**-Cheyenne**


	2. Chapter 2

**New Chapter! Feel free to comment and review so I know what to do about this story. Trust me I have a lot of ideas for Jason, Aria and the girls so hopefully everything turns out well!**

**-Cheyenne**

I couldn't believe this… was this really happening all over again. Had my worst fear come true? Was 'A' really back with a vengeance?

I didn't even notice at first when my phone started slipping from my hands. It fell to the floor with a loud clack. I wasn't even in the right mind frame to hear the noise but I could still feel like all eyes were on me.

I didn't notice at the time but the hallways were empty except for me, Hanna, Emily, Spencer and Jason, who was still standing in front of me with a now worried look on his face.

"Aria? Aria what's wrong?"

I shook my head a little to clear the cobwebs that had formed. I opened my mouth as if I was going to say something but for some reason the words weren't forming. By my body posture I could feel myself loosen like I was become weak at the knees, so I jumped a little when I felt two hands on my upper arms.

Jason was hunched down looking right at me with his brilliant blue eyes. If I hadn't been so dazed I would have noticed the worried expression behind them. It took me a few minutes to gather myself and relax under his grip.

"Aria!" He was saying louder. "Aria, please tell me what's wrong!"

Never had I heard him plead before. He was genuinely looking at me with an expression I had never seen on his face before. Both his eyes were wide and his lips were parted slightly. I noticed he was breathing through his mouth like he was panicking too.

His hands were still tightly gripping my upper arms keeping me up right. It obviously was tight enough to help me stand, but nowhere near the point to wear it was painful. It was a kind, careful grip and a side of the DiLaurentis I had never experienced before.

By the look on his face I could tell he had never seen this side of me either, scared and afraid.

I could hear heels quickly clacking down the linoleum floors getting louder and louder with each step.

"I-I'll take it from here Jason." I heard Spencer say quickly, grabbing my hand and twisting me around in the other direction.

I felt that Jason's hand didn't leave my skin until the very last moment he had to.

His face was still mixed with a look of confused and hurt as he watched Emily and Hanna follow us out. Before we had the chance to get out the door, Hanna ran back to where Jason was standing and pick up my phone from the floor. She shrugged her shoulders at him, almost apologizing and caught up with us outside the school.

What I didn't get to see was that Jason was still standing in the hallway, staring blankly out the doors where I had just been pulled out.

* * *

"What the hell was that all about?" Hanna finally panted outside.

All of us girls went around back to the parking lots and sat in Spencer's car, catching our breath after that quick run, in heels I might add.

"I have no idea." Spencer said, turning on the radio for a comforting background noise. "It's probably just another punk who is trying to get shits and giggles with his local stoner friends."

"How can that be though? Nobody has my new number now, Spence. Only you guys and close friends."

Spencer looked away from me and back down at the floor. I was used to seeing that look from her when she was defeated and didn't have an answer.

"I have no idea…" She confirmed.

"You guys don't really think there's another 'A'… do you?" Emily said, shivering at the thought.

We all just kind of looked at each other, unable to think of any other possibility.

"All I know for sure is Mona is locked up in some nut house whipping her own ass with her hand."

"Hanna!" We all yelled.

"What? It's true. Look guys, this is some serious business here. Remember what Mona said before she was arrested? 'This game isn't over yet….'"

It didn't take me long to think back to what Mona had said. She was being escorted away by the police when she yelled it back to all of us. It felt like she was looking me right in the eye when she said it too. She gave a smirk that never left her face, even after she was driven away in the cop car.

It was hard to think now that a new 'A' may be out there.

"No… I'm not going to believe it." I said forcefully. I could feel all the girls look at me with a questioning look. "Until something legitimate happens, it's just another creep trying to be funny and failing… miserably."

I reached for the door handle with a new sense of pride, but what my friends didn't know, was that it was all a façade.

Truth be told, I did believe there was a new 'A', but until there was definite proof, I was going to live out my senior year and make it the best one yet.

I could hear the girls walking behind me back into the school. It was a good thing we were walking into my Mom's class, otherwise we would have probably had detention. But by the look on her face when we walked in, I could tell she wasn't happy.

But, her face wasn't exactly what I was expecting… it looked more worried than angry. This caused me to raise an eyebrow.

"Sorry we're late Mrs. Montgomery. We were…" Spencer started to think of an excuse but couldn't quite come up with one.

"It's okay girls." My mom said. "Jason DiLaurentis told me what happened."

Okay, now I was confused. I didn't take my eyes off my mom as the bell rang and the students began to shuffle out of the room and hustle off to their next class. When the room was empty, I finally found my voice.

"What?"

"Jason said that you weren't feeling well so the girls took you to the nurse. Are you feeling alright?"

Mom walked up to me and put her hand to my forehead to see if I had a temperature. "You don't feel warm…" She had gently.

"No, I um- I just got dizzy for a second. I think it was that apple dad handed me this morning… I think it was a little rotten." I was such a crummy liar, but this time it was suitable enough for my mother.

"Alright, just be careful for the rest of the day."

I smiled at my mom and gave her a quick hug before the girls and I parted ways to go to our next classes.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by fine. Nothing too exciting, just your average day of school. I texted the girls to see what they were up seeing as which I had to wait for Mike to finish his Lacrosse practice before I could go anywhere. Apparently, Spencer had to help her mom clean out the loft for so Spencer could stay there, Hanna was hanging out with Caleb as usual, and Emily had just wanted some more time to herself.

Sighing, I walked around school to see some guys having a friendly basketball game. I was going to just keep walking by and ignore it but I heard a voice call my name.

"Aria! Hey Aria!"

I looked closer to see Toby running after me with a huge smile on his face. I stopped and waited for him to get to me. He stopped just a foot in front of me and rested the basketball against his hip. Spencer would kill me for thinking this right now but Toby looked mighty fine with his shirt off and sweaty.

"Hey Toby." I finally said with a friendly smile. "How your game going?"

"It hasn't started yet. We were just practicing."

I gave a nod like saying I understood but Toby just kept standing there smiling at me. To be honest it was a little weird.

"Do you need anything Toby?"

His smile got wider. "I'm glad you asked. Go get your workout stuff from your car, you're going to join my team and play with me."

My eyes got wide and my jaw almost dropped. "Excuse me?"

"Oh come on Aria, It'll be fun! Plus we are down a player and I know you use to play basketball in middle school and ninth grade."

"Toby I really don't want-"

"Aria, pleeeeeeease?"

Toby began to give me this puppy dog face that I couldn't help but giggle at. He was good at making two faces, one was his angry face which I got a lot of in early high school, but the other was his sad face which he used on Spencer to get what he wanted. Now I know why it worked.

I sighed. He was lucky that he was a good friend of mine.

"Alright fine." I watched Toby smile and he have me a friendly slap on the arm. "Let me go get my stuff."

I walked over to my car to grab my things and all I could hear behind me was "Hurry up!"

"Shut up Toby! You run in high heels!" I took my heels off and chucked them at the boy standing a few feet away from me. He ducked in cover but I still hit my mark. All he did was chuckle.

I was now about to jog barefoot to my car. I grabbed my workout duffle back from the trunk and ran into the ladies locker room by the courts to change. I put on my sports bra, tank top, matching shorts and sneakers and headed back outside.

I saw the guys passing the ball and practicing and I wasn't long before I spotted a few familiar faces. One of them obviously being Toby, then there was Noel Kahn and his other brother Eric, who I was now able to be civil with, a few of Mike's friends and finally my eyes caught on to Jason's blonde locks.

I could tell he had been looking at me when Toby and I were talking because as I made I contact with him, he quickly look away.

I dropped my bag by the courts and met up with Toby.

I was stretching out my legs when a shadow casted down on me.

"Aria, are you sure you want to play after today?"

I looked up to see Jason standing with a blank expression on his face. I knew him well enough to tell he was hiding his worriedness. He had the ball resting on his hip much like Toby had. Not to mention he was also shirtless.

"I'll be fine." I assured him. "It's been awhile since I've played though."

I saw him raise his brow. "Can you even play?"

I smirked. I signaled for him to pass me the ball. I was already lined up on the three point mark and I took a moment to position myself to shoot. I raised the ball high above my head and watched as Jason stepped aside so I could shoot.

_Swish _Straight in.

"Yes. I'm sure I can play."

I could hear the boys _oooooing _at Jason as I smirked at him. He had this playful smirk of his own ready for the challenge.

He grabbed the ball back and said "Let the games begin."

It ended up being Toby, Eric, myself and a few others on the team, facing Jason, Noel and the rest. Eric and I were unstoppable running around the court and making shot after shot. It was obvious Noel was getting frustrated with his brother and Jason's anger was rising too.

It was good to see that I could work well with at least one of the Kahn's, and it was nice to have my mind distracted from 'A's schemes for a while.

At one point I had the ball and was being blocked by Noel, I ended but passing the ball to Toby between his legs and he was able to get past Jason to make the shot.

I could hear Jason yell and slam the ball down onto the ground with rage. It was clear he was getting frustrated but I just ignored his temper tantrum and Toby and I high fived. As much as I loved having girl time with Spencer, I was nice to get out and do something new with Toby.

It was nearing around the time I had to get ready for Mike so I told them I would have to leave soon.

We continued playing for a while until there was one play left. Eric had the ball and quickly passed it to me. I began running toward the net and right as I was about to jump, this force whacked me right on my side, throwing me back a good three feet.

The way I was positioned my back was toward the basketball post, so when I was hit, I flew back into the post and it felt like it ripped my head right in two.

"Aria!"

I could hear Toby yell from across the court. His voice sounded so distorted and fuzzy that it took me a second to gather who it was. I could barely hear all the rushing footsteps coming my way. They only sounded like echoes in an empty cave.

"Aria! Aria are you okay!?" Toby yelled.

My hands were clutching the back of my head. I was laying down on the pavement waiting for the pain to dull. Toby's yelling made my head throb making it worse and causing me to wince. I let a gasp of air through my gritted teeth and felt a gentle arm on my shoulder.

"Aria I'm so so sorry. Are you alright? I didn't mean to hit you."

_Jason?_ I thought to myself. Was he the one that knocked me back? It must have been because I opened my eyes just enough to see that he was the one touching my arm and everyone else was glaring at him.

"Look what you did DiLaurentis!" Eric shouting, shoving him back a little.

"I didn't mean to! I didn't even realize she was that close to me!"

"Ugh…" Their yelling was getting to my head. "Please stop yelling… I'm fine guys, really."

I started to sit up slowly but I winced again, a pain in my ribs shot through me and I wasn't sure what hurt worse, that or my splitting headache.

"Easy, easy." Toby's soft voice said to me. He carefully leaned my up against the post.

He was kneeing in front of me with Jason and both were looking at me like I was a fragile doll. I moved my hand from my head to notice that it was all red and sticky. There was a significant amount of blood on my hand that it must be gushing out of my head, only causing me to feel dizzier.

"Holy shi-" Noel began

"Aria we have to get you checked out." Toby said in a more serious tone, cutting Noel off. I shook my head but soon regretted it after I could feel my brain bouncing around.

"No… I have to get Mike and take him home." I said sheepishly.

"I can take him home, Aria, but you have to get that stitched first."

Toby placed a gentle hand on the back of my head. I could tell he put his shirt there to stop the bleeding. Once again I winced but it felt nice to be able to move my hand away from all the blood.

"I'll take her to the hospital." I heard Jason say. "Toby, you can take Mike back to their house. I'll make sure Aria gets home safely after she gets checked out."

Toby looked a little hesitantly at Jason, considering he was the one who did it in the first place. But after a few moments Toby agreed and they both helped me to my feet. It was really hard for me to regain my balance but both boys helped me into Jason's truck.

Before Jason was able to take off, I heard Toby whisper something in his ear through the window. I couldn't quite make it out but it sounded like a threat to make sure I was going to be safe.

Jason couldn't see it, but I smiled a little at Toby's sweetness.

I felt the car begin to take off down the street. I closed my eyes and let the gently swaying of the car sooth the pain in my head. Jason had turned the radio off and put the windows up so it wouldn't bother me, which I greatly appreciated.

It didn't take long to get to the hospital but the car ride was silent, making it feel longer. Jason was kind enough to open my door for me. He wrapped his arm around my waist to keep me steady as we walked in together. My arm was around his shoulder and due to my small frame and his large one it was somewhat awkward but we managed okay.

It brought a smile to my face to see that Wren was going to be my attending doctor.

"Aria Montgomery, what did you do?" He asked sincerely.

"Got too rough with the boys playing basketball, I guess." I chucked a bit but it sent a shooting pain through my ribs. "Ouch!"

"Okay, take it easy." Wren said "I'll take you back to get X-rays on those ribs after I stitch up your head."

I smiled and let Jason set me down in a wheel chair so Wren could wheel me back. Before he took me too far, I looked back at Jason who was still standing in the same place we left him.

"You can go home, Jason. I'll be okay."

He gave me his signature hard look. "I'll stay."

I sighed. He was always stubborn but I was in no position to argue. I watched as Jason sat down on one of the waiting chairs and put his head in his hands. That was all I got to see before Wren wheeled me back and started applying my stitches.

**Hopefully not as boring now? You got to see a little of Jason and Aria's relationship blossom. **

**Review please!**

**-Cheyenne**


	3. Chapter 3

**Holy Moley! I was NOT expecting such wonderful thoughts on this story but I'm glad I got them. **

**I want to thank you to, Leila Davis, Maggy, CrazyLittleLiar, joy, Friend to All, mbite7, (unnamed guest), yui Hat-chan, RW28, evans 4 life, jnelly21, Kenzie, Jenn23 and (unnamed guest)! You all reviewed, followed or favorite my story and you couldn't even possibly understand how amazing that feels!**

**Enjoy Chapter 3!**

**-Cheyenne**

"Alright Aria, it looks to me like your ribs are going to be just fine."

I gave Wren a polite smile as he walked around the x-ray machine to help me stand-up. According to him I just bruised the skin where my ribs were and the reason it hurt so bad is because that's an area of constant movement.

As far as the back of my head, Wren insisted on shaving part of my hair off to properly apply the stitches, but of course I was not having any of that. Instead, he managed to maneuver around my unruly hair, much to his dismay, and place smaller, thinner stitches. They were less noticeable but the downfall is that the wound won't heal as quickly.

"Please try to be careful with the back of your head." Wren warned as we walked back out to the waiting room. "No brushing your hair near that area and make sure to keep all soaps and conditioners away so it can heal properly."

"Of course, _Dr. _Wren." I teased.

I caught the young British man rolling his eyes playfully and he held the final door open for me.

I saw Jason shoot up out of his chair once he saw me walk through, a mysterious look on his face. Was it worry? Upset? I couldn't tell. But what I did notice is that we remained in eye contact until I was brought back down to Earth.

"Aria? Are you okay?"

"H-Huh?" I felt Wren place a hand on my shoulder and try to look closely into my eyes. "Yea, I'm okay. I was just focused on other things."

He scoffed. "Now you're sounding like Spencer."

I gave his arm a little shove and he let out a small chuckle.

As I was walking back over to Jason I could hear Wren call over to me.

"Make sure you don't forget to take those antibiotics! It will help prevent infections!"

All I did was look over my shoulder and give a thumbs up. Once again, Wren did his signature eye roll before walking back through the double doors and disappeared behind the metal.

Before I could even completely turn around Jason was in front of me; his eye drilling deep into mine. He was only about a foot away but it felt like I could feel his breath on my forehead. I had to crane my neck to look back into his eyes because of my short frame compared to his larger one.

It felt like we stood like this forever.

"You ready?" He finally said.

I just nodded mindlessly and he led the way out of the hospital building.

"Hey!" A voice called from a distance.

We both snapped our heads around to see Wren throwing a brown paper bag in our direction. Jason was easily able to catch it with one hand while simultaneously looking at Wren with curiosity.

"I told you not to forget your antibiotics, Aria." I stuck my tongue out at him childishly. "Make sure she takes those, Jason. That blow to her head must have made her more forgetful."

I could see Wren send a playful wink and now it was my turn to roll my eyes. Wren's smile was so contagious that as I was walking out with Jason, I could feel a similar smile creeping to my lips. I didn't necessarily get a good look but I was almost positive Jason had a small one as well.

We walked back to Jason's truck and he was polite enough to open the door for me. I mumbled a 'thank you' but he didn't respond.

As he jumped in the front seat and started the car, I finally took a good look at him.

His hair was disheveled, most likely from a combination of sweat and running his fingers through his hair several times. He had a gray, wrinkled, cut-off-sleeved shirt on, which I had no idea where he got that from, probably his car. His eyes were a little sunken and he had small bags as well.

I was going to ask him about it but he didn't look like he was in the mood to say much of anything. I actually kind of felt bad. I know he didn't mean to hit me; he was just too into the game. It was just a freak accident.

I obviously knew that, but did he?

Most of the ride home was silent, but it did take a good thirty minutes to get back to Rosewood from the hospital. And the silence was killing me.

"So ummmm… can we play some music or something?" I finally, and shyly asked.

Once again all he did was nod and his turned the volume up to a nice, peaceful background noise.

"Thank you."

Again, only a nod. What the hell. But I wasn't about to complain. A slight silence was better than a complete silence.

We were only half way there when I was really starting to get annoyed. I was use to always having noise around me whether it was gossip with the girls, family talks or any of Noel Kahn's parties. This was just too much.

"Do you talk?" I asked point blank and kind of rudely.

I heard him chuckle. "Yes, Aria, you know I talk. My vocal cords are just fine."

"It just seemed like you didn't want to talk to me…"

My confession finally got him to significantly respond. I watched as he glanced back over to me with this look between hurt and confused. I mimicked the expression hoping he would explain.

"Why would you think that?"

I looked at him like he was an idiot. "Ummm because you didn't talk to me." I raised my voice at the end, causing it to sound like a condescending question. I instantly regretted it.

He turned his head back around and his face was back to that blank expression he was so use to doing. All his attention was now focused back on the road, and once again I was left in the silence.

"I thought you were the one who didn't want to talk to me."

His voice was thin and I could tell it was full of disguised hurt. He never looked back at me when he spoke.

"Why wouldn't I want to talk to you?" I questioned. Once he didn't give an answer, I knew why he felt so bad. "Jason, I'm not upset about that… It was an accident."

He let out a loud sigh. "I could have really hurt you. I was getting way into the game and let my anger blind me. I swear it was like no one was on that court but me."

"I know that's why-"

"I'm a dangerous guy, Aria." He said cutting me off. "If something would have happened to you I would have felt like a complete asshole… more than I do currently."

He turned back to me once again and the look in his eyes said it all, even if his voice didn't. He was sorry. He is one of those people where I can read their whole life story just by looking into their eyes. His baby blues told a story of sorrow and worry as he was stuck in that waiting room, hoping that I would only come out with a scratch.

This was a side of Jason DiLaurentis I don't even think Ali got to see.

"Jason." I started, trying to find my words, "You don't scare me. If you were such a dangerous guy, you would have taken me to the outskirts of Rosewood and burned me alive."

I didn't mean for the allusion to sound so morbid but he got the joke anyway.

"How do you know I'm not?" He said wickedly with a smirk.

"Because I'm the only one of Ali's friends that knows you better than that."

There was that look again. The look of seriousness. The look I get when someone's trying to process the words I'm saying. Did I really trust Jason? Not completely. But he did help me through today and he was being incredibly nice.

I could see where the girls, especially Spencer, thought he was creepy. It was the quiet, tough demeanor with the intense stare that Jason always did. After today though, I was quite use to it and could almost get a sense for why he would use it.

It was to keep other people out of his head.

"You don't know what I'm like, Aria." He said as we pulled into my neighborhood.

"You're right… I don't. But I know you're not as much of a bad guy as you make yourself seem to be."

I sent him a small smile and he turned his head down to hide his. He let out an exasperated sigh, but to me, it almost sounded like a laugh.

He kept that content look on his face as we pulled into my driveway. He parked the car as close to the door as he could, considering it was now raining cats and dogs outside.

I looked back over to him and his signature Jason look was back on. I could tell he was trying to read me like a book and I was doing the same from across the seat. His eyes were so intense it was almost scary, but I knew better. It was just his way of communicating his feelings.

I didn't notice it at first but he was leaning in closer. At first I thought he was going to make an inappropriate move, but his eyes weren't attached to mine, but instead, they were looking at my head.

"Let me see how it looks."

Of course referring to my stitches, I tilted my head down so he could look at the back of my head. I could feel his hands graze over my hair and it wasn't long before they skillfully weaved their way through the knots and onto my skin.

His hands were so masculine, yet gentle at the same time. It was a soothing combination and he glided his fingers over the bumps of the stitches. I wished I could have seen the look on his face as he was glancing at it.

"It doesn't look as bad as I thought." He finally said, relieved.

"See. It wasn't a hard hit. It just looked worse than it did." I could feel Jason pulling his hand back slowly from my hair, almost as if he didn't want to let go.

_BOOM_

Right as I tilted my head up and look back in his eyes the car jerked violently to the passenger side doors.

I felt a strong grip on my shoulder to keep me steady as the car rocked quickly back and forth. I ducked my head down at the floor, terrified of what that noise was and what was happening to the car. Jason's hand kept gripping my shoulder protectively while his other held on to the seat to keep himself steady.

"What the hell was that?" I whispered.

He didn't answer me for a while, most likely waiting for something else to happen.

"I don't know…" He finally said. "Stay in here. I'm going to go look."

Jason gave my shoulder a slight squeeze before letting go and hopping out of the truck. The car was sloping towards my side and I was afraid to look out the window, scared of what I might see.

So all I did was follow Jason's form around the car and over to my window. I saw his eyes glance down toward the ground, and violently kick the tire. He snapped his head around to look into the neighboring yards but found nothing that caught his attention. I saw his lips curse as the water ran down his face.

He signaled for me to get out of the car and pulled the handle for me. I jumped out into the freezing cold rain and quickly scanned the ground where he was looking. The right front tire looked to have been slashed out with a large hunting knife or axe. There was nothing left to the tire but flat rubber.

"It must have been some punk kid trying to be humorous!" Jason yelled threw the thundering rain, his eyes squinted to keep the water out of them.

As I watched him kick the tire once more in anger, the only thing that crossed my mind was the only person that would have wanted to sabotage us.

'A.'

I quickly began to frantically search the area for any signs of anything suspicious. The rain drops fogging up my vision made everything unclear and hard to focus on.

"I already looked! They must have run off!" He yelled.

I turned my head to look at him again to see that his clothes were soaked through. His gray t-shirt was now clinging to his skin and his basketball shorts looked like they weighed one hundred pounds. His unruly blonde hair was now flat and hanging randomly in his face.

I'm not going to lie, if this wasn't a scary moment, it would have been a pretty romantic, movie-like scene.

He didn't move once as I was taking him in. He just looked into my eyes the whole time and was probably doing the same thing to me.

I looked toward my front door and then back to the man standing in front of me.

"Come on!" I yelled.

I quickly grabbed his wrist, practically touching his hand and ran to the front door, Jason jogging behind me. I grabbed the spare key under the potted plant, not caring that he saw, and pulled us both inside.

I warm air that hit us was so refreshing on our cold wet skin. I could feel my body shiver as my cold clothes clung to my body.

"Mom!?" I yelled into the house. "Dad!? Mike!?"

No answer. They must not be home.

I didn't realize until after a few moments that I was still holding onto Jason's wrist. He made no attempt to pull it away so he must not have minded too much, but once I realized it, I swiftly let go.

"I-I'll go get some towels." I stammered, not bothering to look into his eyes.

My sneakers sloshed on the hardwood floors as I walked to the hall closet to grab two spare towels. I first wrapped mine around my shoulders before walking back to an unmoving Jason. He stood patiently and I handed him the towel.

"Thanks." He murmured.

I nodded as we proceeded to dry off as best we could. He ran the towel a few times over his hair causing it to be a hot mess. But that was a look Jason pulled off well, not that I would openly admit that.

I was really unsure of what to do. I had a wet, older man who was the brother of my dead best friend standing in my house after 'A' slashed his tires. Obviously 'A's motive was to keep him here for the time being. But for what?

"You should change clothes."

Jason said this right after I let out a cold shiver. It broke me out of my nightmare of 'A.'

"Yea.." I said slowly. "Here, you can wear some of Mike's clothes so you can relax a little."

"I should probably head home to grab a spare tire to fix my car." He said blankly.

I gave him a skeptical look as a booming crash of thunder shook the house. "Yea… in the pouring down rain."

"You don't have to do this, Aria. I'll be fine."

"What? Are you afraid of me?" I challenged.

"Should I be?"

I sent him playful wink and watched as he raised his brow and smirked.

Did I just wink at Jason DiLaurentis? I quickly turned my head and started walking up the stairs to hide my now rosy cheeks. I could hear his footsteps behind me so I know I had convinced him to stay.

A part of me was glad to have some company during the storm with 'A' on the prowl, but the other half was still a bit hesitant. I only really know a few things about the man walking behind me, and if Spencer or any of the girls were to find out Jason was going to stay at my house, I think they were murder me themselves.

I walked into Mike's messy room with Jason following behind me. I looked in his closet for something bigger. Jason was a good few inches taller and more muscular than Mike was, so I had to find something he would be comfortable in.

"Okay… here. This should fit okay."

I tossed him a plain white t-shirt with plaid pajama pants with an elastic band. I dug through my brother's boxer drawer to find a certain pair that I knew was too big on him, and tossed those over to Jason.

He gave me a skeptical look. "…Nice pear?"

The boxers I tossed him I had gotten Mike for his 16th birthday. I didn't know what size he was so they ended up being a size too big for his tiny waist line. They had pictures of little pears on them with the phrase 'nice pear' next to them. I thought they were funny.

Jason was still looking at me, waiting for an explanation.

"Hey, if you feel self-conscious because the statement is untrue than I can take them back…"

He scowled at me and rolled his eyes, silently walking away.

"They'll work fine. Thank you." He yelled from down the hall before walking into the bathroom.

I could hear him chuckle as he walked out and so did I. It was surprisingly easy to joke with Alison's older brother. The misconceptions of Jason from the girls still loomed in my mind, but until I had significant proof, Jason seemed okay in my books.

As he was changing in the bathroom I went into my room to change as well. I threw on a pair of fuzzy, black pajama pants and an old t-shit I got from Iceland. It was nice and comfy and with my wet head I doubted I looked even slightly attractive. Not that it really mattered anyway.

"Oh well." I sighed to myself.

Jason was already done and waiting for me as I walked out of my room.

"I'll put those in the washer and dryer so they can be clean for you tomorrow."

He handed me his clothes and followed me back down the stairs. "I'm sleeping over?" He questioned.

"It doesn't look like the storm is letting up. What kind of host would I be if I let my guest walk home in the rain?"

I sent him a small smile and he returned it with one of his own. As we walked into the kitchen I told him he could sit in the living room and start the fire place to keep warm as I threw our clothes in the wash.

After I was done, I walked into the living room to see he obeyed and was adjusting the wood with the fire stick. Beautiful flames were dancing in the air and around his face as he played with the embers.

Once he was finished he walked back over to the couch and sat down. I was looking through my family's DVD collection, unsure of what to watch. I figured a movie would be the better choice in case some of the cable lines when down during the storm, and it was a nice way to relax after a stressful day.

"What kind of movie are you in the mood for?" I asked him while still looking at the racks.

"I'm sure anything you pick will be fine."

I finally decided on Ted, a new comedy Mike had gotten for his birthday. I had a smile on my face as I put it in the DVD player, excited to watch it for the first time.

"Have you seen this?" I asked, handing him the case as the opening rolled.

"No, but I've been meaning to." He said with a small smirk of his own.

I my surprise, we laughed together throughout the whole movie. Mark Wahlberg was incredibly funny and this teddy bear was the most comical thing I've ever seen.

It was also amazing to see Jason so carefree. Never had I seen this side of Ali's brother before. Back when we were younger, he was always off with Ian getting high or drinking, but now he was calm and relaxed enjoying the movie. I couldn't help my smile at the peacefully of his presence. His laugh was so incredibly intoxicating and I never realized how amazing it sounded to my ears.

I hardly noticed as he put his arm around the back of my neck on the couch. I could tell it wasn't to make a move or anything, just to get more comfortable. Yet it was nice. I felt protected in a discreet kind of way.

It was getting late and after the movie had ended I had fallen asleep. Jason was soon behind me and I didn't even notice when my head was peacefully resting against his shoulder as I drifted into a deep sleep.

**Thank you for reading and feel free to leave some reviews! I love to know what you guys think!**

**-Cheyenne**


	4. Chapter 4

**I love you all review! That's my inspiration for this story is to hear your inputs on things. Please keep reviewing!**

**Thanks to TheEpicness239, yui Hat-chan, CrazyLittleLiar, NUNUBAYBE, Friend to All, Caitlin Flanagan, Renee, Kenzie, norska, mayflower487, Jenn23, tashville007, bookluver45679, take me to Rosewood Darling, xxxFireFlyxxx, jellyfinn, and jariafan15!**

**You guys seriously give me the motivation to keep writing this story and all your inputs help! Enjoy Chapter 4!**

**-Cheyenne**

I was peacefully resting with my head against the side of the couch, lazily stretching out my limbs with them cracking in protest. My eyes took a few moments to adjust to the blinding lights shining mercilessly through the windows into my house.

I looked over at the entertainment system and noticed it was still early in the morning, only 6:15. I mentally thanked my internal body clock for waking me up at an appropriate time so I still had plenty of time to get ready for school.

I craned my neck to look out the window; by the looks of it the storm had passed and left a beautiful sunny day behind. I smiled to myself and couldn't help but hope that maybe today was going to be the start of something new.

I though back to yesterday. I had been tormented by a new 'A', or at least that is what the girls and I thought. Mike was still a nervous wreck for reasons which I have no idea, and I split my head open yesterday and had a bruise the size of Godzilla on my check. Great.

My hand wandered its way to the back of my scalp where I could feel the tender skin and the thick bumps from where my stitches rest. I winced as I accidentally scratched the sensitive skin.

This pain brought my mind back to what had happened, basketball, Toby, falling, pain, Jason.

Jason. Didn't he sleep over? Didn't I invite one of our 'A' suspects into my house, let him where by brother's clothes and let him spend the night in my living room?

Where the hell was he?

I looked around the room to see not a single soul. It didn't even look like my parents and Mike were home yet, making me worry the slighted bit.

As I swung my legs over the edge of the couch my toes felt a little squish on the way down. I quickly withdrew my legs back and gazed wide eyed down at the floor.

There was Jason DiLaurentis, laying peacefully on his stomach with a blanket that was way too small for his large frame resting on his back and down his legs. He was facing me with his blonde hair hanging in front of his face in random places, but from what I could tell, he looked content. He must have made himself a bed in the middle of the night so we wouldn't be cramped up on the couch together.

He was sleeping silently and I couldn't help but smile. I had no idea why but his restful presence calmed me. Maybe I was thinking that if the brother of my dead best friend could have a good night's sleep, then maybe life wasn't as stressful as I was making it out to be.

I decided to let him sleep, even if it wasn't the smartest idea to leave an unattended guest in my house. He's been in here before, so I'm sure he will be okay as I go get a shower and ready for school.

I sneakily crawled over the back of the couch and crept upstairs. As I walked into my room I felt a cold breeze catch my skin. I looked over to my window to see that it was hanging wide open, my curtains blowing freely into the open space.

My heart dropped.

I know I would have never left my window open in a rain storm, and it wasn't like that yesterday when I went to change my clothes. I hesitantly walked over to the window and looked around outside. My eyes quickly caught upon two oddly shaped statues in my back yard, perfectly placed so that they were directly facing my bedroom window.

I couldn't make them out from the distance upstairs so I decided to go back downstairs and investigate.

I made sure as I walked down that Jason was still asleep and I didn't wake him up. He was still breathing peacefully by the foot of the couch, his eyes closed and hands under his pillow.

I crept past him and opened the glass doors leading to the back patio. I looked were the gray things would have been place and I couldn't even believe what my eyes were looking at.

Oh my God.

"AHHHHHH!"

I didn't mean to scream but it was an involuntary reaction. I suddenly heard footsteps racing behind me and I instantly thought the worst, 'A.'

I spun around quickly to catch the perpetrator, and as I was doing so, my fist was cocked and ready to hit whoever it was coming to kill me.

Unfortunately, my attacker was too quick and grabbed my hand with ease. I looked into their bright blue eyes and could barely gather my thoughts.

"J-Jason?"

Jason's expression was completely taken aback. My fist was in his and we stood frozen looking at each other.

"Aria, are you okay? I heard you scre-"

He stopped and I could tell his eyes were looking over my shoulder. I noticed his hand never let go of mine as he looked away, even though he and I were more relaxed.

His eyes were wide and his face was solemn. He looked like he was about to break down and let a few tears slide down his cheeks. It was a face I haven't seen since Alison's body had been discovered.

I turned back around and inadvertently stepped closer to him. I felt his hand let go of mine and he took a few steps forward onto the patio.

"W-What…" He tried to say, but there were no words for this.

In my backyard were two gray tombstones.

I watched as Jason took advancing steps toward the tombstones to better investigate them. Not wanting to be alone back on the patio, I raced over to him and grabbed onto the back of his shirt, right by his shoulder. He didn't flinch or pull away. I knew he was just as scared as I was.

The left tombstone was all too familiar to the both of us.

It read "Alison DiLaurentis. Loving daughter and friend to all. July 17, 1993 – September 01, 2009."

All I could do was stare down at the only remembrance of my friend. The stone was worn down and looked like it was used. It looked like the real stone. Jason's eyes never left Ali's tombstone but I couldn't bear to look at it. Her grave marker was lying in my back yard. What the hell was it doing here?

But then I remember the other stone to the right of Alison's.

My jaw dropped.

"Jason DiLaurentis. Couldn't escape his fate. March 3, 1989 – September 01, 2012."

"Oh my God... It's dated for next week…" I breathed.

Jason's attention finally went over to me and then looked down at 'his' gravestone. His facial expression turned from scared and upset into angry and vengeful.

He snapped his head over towards me and got right in my face.

"What the hell is this Aria!? Do you think this is funny!?"

I was taken aback when he stepped right into my comfort zone. I could feel his hot, pulsating breath on my skin and I saw the veins in his neck and forehead start to bulge. His eyes were boring deep into mine, almost as if he was trying to look for answers before I could say them.

But did he really think I would pull a trick like this? For God's sake it was my best friend's grave!

"Wait… You think I did this?"

His eyes got wide and he look like he was about to snap at any second. He got about one inch closer to my face, almost touching my forehead with his, but then he quickly pulled back and ran his fingers through his hair angrily.

"I don't know who else would do this Aria! Mona's in jail! She's the one who killed Alison!" Jason yelled, throwing his hands up in the air dramatically. "Is this why my tires were slashed!? Huh!?"

"W-What? What are you talking ab-"

"Did one of your conniving little friends slash my tires so you could pull this shit!?"

"Jason no! We would never! We loved Ali and would never do anything to hurt her or you!"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!"

Jason had finally snapped. The veins in his head were thick from his blood pumping and his anger was through the roof.

I could only watch as he swung his leg back and kicked one of my family's potted plants on our patio. His foot went straight through the thick, dry clay and shattered everywhere. Dirt and clay were flying in my direction since that was the way his leg hit the plant.

Little shards were zooming past me and I tried to protect myself by ducking a little and putting my hands protectively in front of my face. One larger piece hit my arm and gave me a small cut, but nothing serious.

The only thing that was serious though was Jason's temper at this very moment.

For the first time in my entire life, I was afraid of Jason DiLaurentis.

I was scared to say anything. All I wanted right now was for him to leave, but my vocal cords seemed like they weren't working. My mouth opened to speak but no words came out. I just kept watching as Jason paced along my patio with his head down and hands on his hips.

Thankfully, he spoke first.

"I'm leaving." He stated clearly but forcefully.

Again, all I could do was listen as he walked past me without even a second glance. All my eyes could focus on was the two graves taunting me in my backyard.

* * *

Once I regained my composure I thought it would be smart to call the girls over to show them what 'A' had done.

I sent them a quick 'SOS' and it wasn't long before all three of them showed up.

I went inside to answer the door and I was quite surprised to see that they had arrived so fast. They must have all been together when I had called them over. Spencer quickly barged right through the door and looked around for any signs of trouble. Hanna and Emily followed behind her but much less dramatically.

"Is everything okay Aria?" Emily finally said.

"No. No, you have to come see this."

I lead the girls through my messy, slept in living room and into the back yard. Each one of them gasped as they got a glimpse at the gravestones.

Hanna held her hands up to cover he mouth as if she might vomit, Emily looked as if she might pass out at any second, while Spencer looked distraught yet inquisitive.

Spencer, always the first one to react, carefully walked over to the grave stones and studied them carefully.

"I-Is this really Alison's…?" She questioned softly.

I just nodded in response. The rest of the girls walked up with Spencer and looked at the tombstone as well. They were all too afraid to get too close to the markers so they stayed a good foot or two away from them.

"Jason's is labeled a week from now." I stated quietly.

"Jason's?"

All of them finally looked over to the second gravestone after Hanna spoke to see that the other gravestone was indeed Jason's and was dated for next week.

Spencer wasn't as afraid to take a closer look at Jason's grave, most likely because this person was indeed still alive and wasn't as destroyed or sacred as Ali's. She placed a hand on top of the grave and felt the smooth granite over her fingertips.

"This looked and feels like a real gravestone… Like it was made from a professional…"

Hanna, Emily and I looked at each other and then back at Spencer. She was examining the tomb head to toe to see if there were any clues. It didn't look like she found any.

"Why is there one for Jason too?" She asked no one in particular.

"I don't know… but when he saw it he totally freaked out."

"Wait!" Hannah joined in. "Jason was here!?"

Crap. "Yeah… It's a long story…" I said, putting my head down, knowing I was going to be in for an earful.

"Explain. Now." Spencer said in all seriousness.

So from there my story began. I ran through all the events of what happened yesterday, starting from Mike's odd behavior, how that led into us running into Jason at school, the basketball game and my injury, how he helped me, the storm, the tires, the sleepover, and finally leading up to his freak out this morning.

"You let Jason sleep in your house… next to you? That's totally messed up and weird."

"Shut up, Hanna." I said. I was not in the mood for Hanna's judgments right now.

"Hanna's right, Aria. Jason could really be up to something. We don't know yet if he has anything to do with 'A' or not."

"It does seem kind of sketchy that he ended up being here the same night that 'A' put his grave stone in the back yard." Spencer said, agreeing with Emily.

"Guys stop." I said calmly. "I know Jason didn't do this."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because for one his tires were slashed. How could he have done that if he was in the car with me? Secondly, if he were to dig up Ali's tombstone and put his in my backyard, he would have to get past me while we were both sleeping."

"How do you know he didn't just sneak by you?" Spencer said, crossing her arms on her chest not backing down.

"Because if Jason did do all that work, his clothes would have been muddy and wet from the rain last night. They weren't."

Silence. For once in our lives, we were silent. I was silent because I didn't have anything else to add into the matter, and the other girls didn't have any more accusations against Jason. I had counter acted all of their ideas.

"Okay. But that still doesn't mean he can be trusted or doesn't know something about Ali's death or this new 'A.'

I rolled my eyes at the youngest member of the Hastings family. Spencer was stubborn just like her parents, and sometimes it was just overbearing. But she did have a point. Truth is, we don't know much about Jason DiLaurentis. He proved that to me this morning with his outburst.

I couldn't blame him though. His sister's tombstone was taken and was placed in my backyard. He didn't know who had done it, but did he really think it was me? I would never do something like that, and he should have gathered that information by now.

He would never tell anyone this and neither would I, but when he was looking directly into my eyes right before his meltdown, I saw what his really emotion was. Fear. And he saw fear in my eyes too when I saw the gravestones… so how could he think it was me.

Honestly, it hurt a little bit that he didn't trust me. After all the years of being his little sister's best friend, you would think he would have had a little more faith in me.

"Aria?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and turned my head back to the inside of my house.

"Aria, where are you?"

Shit, it's my mom. The girls and I looked on in fear as the shadows of my family walked near the back patio. We could see their silhouettes through the curtains and we were all looking at each other for answers. But there was no way we could hide this one.

My mother walked out first and gave us a sad smile. Dad soon followed after her and it looked like Mike went upstairs to hide away in his room.

Her face was sunken and she looked like she had little sleep, as did my father. Now I was worried.

"Aria… I know you don't want to hear this, but I wanted to tell you before anyone else got the chance… Honey, Alison's grave has been dug up and her body is missing. The police found out this morning after the storm blew out. They said her grave was destroyed and her tombstone was nowhere to be found… I'm so sorry sweetie…"

"I think we might know where her gravestone ran off to." Hanna sarcastically stated.

The girls and I looked down at the ground while Hanna motioned her arm towards the gravestone. My mother gasped and my dad's eyes were wide.

"I-I'm going to call the police…" He said, barely able to finish his sentence before running back into the house.

"Come inside girls… You don't need to see any more of this. I'll call your parents and get you guys out of school for the day."

My mother wrapped her arm around my shoulders and guided us into the house, never taking her eyes off the gravestones.

This had to be the worst beginning to a new school year I've ever had.

**Review Review Review!**

**-Cheyenne**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yes! I was so close to getting 10 reviews in a chapter! Come on ya'll I know you can do it!**

**Special thanks to CrazyLittleLiar, RW28, Camila, yui Hat-chan, Friend to All, jariafan15, 1241070, Renata, Jenn23, ourgoldeneyes, JessyeJesigirl, Sarcastickay001 and Maiden of Desolation! **

**Hope you all like chapter 5!**

**-Cheyenne**

It felt like the police would never leave. They turned my once peaceful backyard into a breeding ground for paparazzi and investigators, of course with Detective Wilden leading the force, which was no comfort whatsoever.

The girls and I must have told the story to the police about what happened at least three different times in the matter of an hour and a half. Thank God Mrs. Hastings came in and said that we have had enough with the questions, which we all had.

But in the mess of everything I had asked to keep one thing a secret, Jason's involvement. The police caught on to the broken potted plant on the back patio and assumed it had something to do with the perpetrator. They thought if the suspect had broken the pot then their DNA could have been transferred to it, blood or something of that nature.

Then I remembered that there was blood on it. Mine. I quickly snatched the piece of debris that had cut my skin and stuffed it in my purse. But I also looked over to where most of the rubble was and saw another piece with blood on it. I knew it wasn't mine so it had to be Jason's when his foot made contact with the pot. I hid that piece in my purse too and looked around for more. I finally stopped when I was satisfied there were no more.

I asked the girls to keep Jason out of the picture because I knew the police would instantly look at him as a suspect if they knew he was here, just like they were doing with us. But like I had explained to the girls, Jason couldn't have possibly done this.

It took a little convincing on my part, but they finally agreed. Emily was the first to back me up, and Spencer was the toughest to convince as usual. But like a good friend, she backed me up to, bringing a smile to my lips.

"Are you sure there's nothing else you ladies would like to tell us?"

"They are quite done here Detective Wilden. I think it would be best for you and your men to leave." Mrs. Hasting said assertively, stepping in front of us protectively.

Wilden just gave her a stern look before he turned back to us. He could tell we were keeping something from him as usual, but what else was new.

"Fine. Try to ignore the men digging up your back yard Ms. Montgomery."

Wilden's menacing voice echoed in my ear drums as he addressed me specifically. It sent a shiver down my spine thinking about how the police were digging up my backyard to take Alison's gravestone into evidence… as well as Jason's.

I watched as Wilden and most of his detectives leave my house without even a second glance.

"Girls, if you want to come over to the house I'm perfectly okay with that. I'm sure the police will try to pry more questions out of you and it's best if you have a lawyer present. We don't need them making up false statements in a small town like this."

"Thank you, Veronica." Mrs. Marin said. "I have to get to work and I would prefer it if Hanna weren't alone."

Emily's mom was the next to nod in agreement and it didn't take long for them to walk outside and drive to Spencer's house. But before Spencer had left she could tell that I wasn't really in any sort of mood to be around people. She placed a friendly hand on my shoulder and said, "Call if you need anything. The back door will be open for you."

I smiled and gave her a quick hug. She left with no further words and I let out a deep sigh. For once in her life Spencer didn't pry for more information, she just let the situation fall how the world intended it to.

I didn't say a word to my family as I went upstairs to grab a shower. The hot water poured down my aching skin and it calmed my nerves. How could everything go so wrong in just two days? It was like Ali was missing all over again, only this time it was her corpse.

And then there was all these problems with Mike. I could hear his heavy metal music blasting from his room and into my shower. I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't worried. This really wasn't like him. I had no idea what was going on with him and I could tell he was leaving the house at indecent hours of the night. How Mom and Dad didn't notice was beyond me.

Then there was Jason. The nice, yet temperamental older brother of my missing, dead best friend. His outburst this morning made my stomach turn into knots. It was a side of him I'd never seen before.

Even when we were younger, he may have seen angry and mysterious, but I thought back to a one-on-one encounter I had with him in the DiLaurentis kitchen, and it reminded me not to take things at face value.

_I was walking down into Alison's kitchen to grab some snacks for the movie we were about to watch, a new horror movie we had all been anticipating for weeks to come out on DVD. Those types of movies were always my favorite. I loved the thrill of a good scare and the pounding of my heart. I could hear that they were gossiping in the living room waiting for me to return._

_I could hear the door in the kitchen, which lead to the back yard, slam open. A chilling breeze hit my bare skin and made me shiver. _

"_God damn it, Ian! You need to knock that shit off! I've had it with your stupid videos!"_

_Another slam. The door's blind knocked against the window several times, but that was the only sound. I had stood frozen, looking at the man standing before me. _

_Before this point, I had only seen Ali's older brother a few times in passing. For once I was able to get a good look at him. His blonde hair was longer and askew in his face, which held a look of anger and surprise, most likely because he wasn't expecting to see me in his kitchen. He was wearing a Rosewood High Basketball hoodie and a pair of dark blue jeans resting precariously on his waist._

"_What?" Jason snapped rudely, finally walking into the kitchen and taking off his hoodie. _

"_Sorry… I didn't mean to catch you off guard." I said looking down quickly, even though I'm pretty sure he noticed me staring._

"_You didn't."_

_The tone of our talk wasn't a friendly one to say the least. I was trying to be polite as I could, considering I didn't know him well. But he just didn't seem in the mood to deal with a younger kid like myself. He probably didn't even know my name._

_I hid my eyes from him as I reached in the fridge to grab us some drinks. I could feel his eyes on me but I wasn't sure if I was just being paranoid. _

_I was looking for a platter to take everything out on so I wouldn't have to take more than one trip, but I wasn't having any success. I had only been here a few times before and I was still getting the hang of everything. The DiLaurentis kitchen was too huge to even process with the eye, let alone find one specific thing. I might as well be trying to find and blueberry in a mountain of grapes._

"_Here."_

_I heard the clack of the metal platter hit the counter top. I finally looked up at the man who handed me what I was looking for. He just waited for me to take it and never broke eye contact._

"_Thank you." I said timidly._

_As I put everything on the plate I could see Jason grab a beer can from the fridge and then lean back against the counter, taking a long swig of his beverage. _

"_Alison having another movie night?" He asked, but it sounded more like a statement than a question._

"_Yea." I responded, giving him a small smile. "It's horror movie night."_

_It caught me by surprise when I heard him let out a low chuckle. "Be careful, she knows how to scare people at just the right times."_

_He shifted his weight off the side of counter and started walking towards the threshold of the kitchen and towards the stairs. I presumed he was going to his room._

"_She causes you any trouble, just ask her about the time I scared her so bad during One Missed Call that she peed herself."_

_Now I couldn't help but laugh. I could have never pictured the great Alison DiLaurentis to be scared of anything, but the way Jason was able to keep his facial expression serious made it all the more believable. _

_He watched me as I laughed and when I looked back over to him, I saw a smile playing on his lips as well. He tilted his head down shyly, still letting the smile grace his lips. He turned his body to leave, his attitude changed from angry to happy in a matter of moments._

"_Have fun, Aria." I heard him say as he disappeared from my view._

_Well… at least I know he knows my name…_

I could feel the shower starting to get cold and I quickly stepped out. Thankfully I had remembered to be cautious with my stitches while washing my hair, just like Wren had said. I was happy to say that it didn't hurt as bad as it did yesterday, and that my dark hair could cover up any signs of the markings on my scalp.

I got dressed into some exercise gear, feeling in the mood to run out my stressful morning before going to Spencer's. All I wanted right now was to have a moment to myself. No boys, no friends, no parents, no police, just me, myself and I.

I slipped on a pair of running shorts, a tank top and sneakers and tied my hair in a loose ponytail. I did a quick glance in the mirror and smiled at myself. It had been a while since I had the motivation to work out, so it gave me some gratification knowing I was being productive.

"Aria. Can we talk?" I heard my mom say as I walked down the stairs.

She had a worried and skeptical expression on her face so I was curious as to what she wanted to talk about.

"Yea, Mom?"

She let out a sigh and leaned against the side of the island so she was leaning over it and facing me. I mimicked her reaction and looked into her beautiful brown eyes. They looked just like mine, or rather, mine looked just like hers.

"Is there something you're not telling me? About last night more specifically."

I tried to hide my panic with a nonchalant expression and a shake of the head.

"No, why?"

"Then… explain these." My mom pulled out a pair of men's workout clothes from the dryer and held them up for me to see. "Why are there men's clothes that aren't your father's or Mike's in the dryer?"

Crap. I was never a good liar when it came to my mother. She was so caring and patient with me over the years that she felt more like a best friend than my mom. I couldn't keep anything from her and she was the same way with me. I had to tell her.

"There Jason's…"

"Jason DiLaurentis… was here… with no clothes on…?"

"Mom no ew!" I made a disgusted face at the thought of a naked man I barely knew in my house. Even though with a body like his it wouldn't be as bad... "I gave him some of Mike's!"

"I'm so confused. His truck is in our drive way and the police were asking about it."

Oh shit. I had totally forgotten all about his truck in the drive way. The police definitely know he was here now. There was no way for me to get him out of this one, even if I did get rid of the potted plant shards.

"I told him that it was your father's spare truck he was trying to fix."

"Mom…" I felt bad. My mom had no idea what had happened last night or this morning and she was already lying to the police.

"I'm here to help you, Aria. But you have to fill me in. Is that what the blanket and pillows were for on the floor?" I nodded. "I need some answers here."

I couldn't keep this from my mom anymore. I told her everything about why Jason slept over and why his clothes were in the dryer. I explained the car but I kept out the details of the hospital visit and the potted plant.

She never interrupted me once during the whole thing. She patiently listened and watched my facial expressions to see if I was lying. She seemed satisfied and when I finished she took a sip of her tea.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Aria. I have a strange feeling about him."

I nodded and watched my mom grab me a bottle of water from the fridge and set it on the counter in front of me.

"Everybody seems to have that feeling…" I said solemnly.

I hung my head low, not quite sure why I was feeling a pang of hurt in my heart for the DiLaurentis. It was just a shame that I was the only one who seemed to think better of him. Don't get me wrong, I got a weird vibe from him too, especially after this morning, but it was nothing that I couldn't handle. I knew there were some cryptic details trapped up in that mind of his, but I had a gut feeling he is just like all of us. Everyone has secrets they don't want to share, and that doesn't make you a bad person.

I felt my mom place a hand on my shoulder and I looked up into her eyes.

"I trust your decisions, Aria. Even when you told us about Ezra, I knew that you were making a decision that felt right for you. I may not have agreed with it, but you're a smart girl. I trust that you are making intelligent decisions."

Mom gave me a small smile and I returned it with one of my own and a hug. She embraced me and I felt like 'thank you' wasn't enough to explain how happy I was to have a mother like her.

She really understood me.

"Now please be careful while you go running, honey. That freak is still out there who did this."

"I know, Mom. I'll be over at Spencer's in about an hour, but I might stop back here first for more clothes."

"If you hear from Jason, his clothes are here. Like I said, I'm still iffy with him... but I think he's and okay boy." I could tell her words were sincere but I saw the way she forced her smile. She meant well, but she was just worried with all the craziness that was happening in Rosewood.

I smiled once more and waved goodbye and I jogged out the door.

* * *

The fresh fall air was just warm enough for shorts, but also cool enough so that I wouldn't over heat. It felt good to have my feet guide me instead of my mind. It seemed that all I have been doing as of late was worrying and over thinking things. It was comforting to have something other than my overactive mind steering me on an unknown path.

I must have ran for a good half hour before I felt the need for a quiet, peaceful place to relax and calm my muscles.

I thought about a place near the lake that only I knew about. I never told any of the girls or even my family about this wooded area because I knew it was my only place to escape.

The lake spot was a quiet, woodsy setting with trees and leaves everywhere. It was a good 20 foot cliff that hung over the lake's end. It was an absolutely rural and beautiful location to calm my thoughts.

I jogged up to my usual spot but stopped once I saw a figure, sitting on a fallen tree truck in the distance.

They must have heard me coming from the crunching of the leaves beneath my feet and quickly jumped up and turned around.

I watched as the man's blue eyes drilled into mine like he was about to snap, but then I felt his eyes relax. He looked down at his feet and stuffed his hands into his pockets before looking back up to me.

Jason looked nervous, and I'm sure my timid facial expressions weren't helping. My eyes were still wide and alert even though his had relaxed. It must have been five hours since the incident but it still played in my mind like it happened fifteen minutes ago.

"I-I'm sorry, I'll leave." I said a little too quickly. I rapidly turned heel and began to walk fast back towards the main road.

"No, wait!"

His voice echoed through the trees and inadvertently caused me to jump. I wasn't expecting him to say anything, let alone call me back. I turned around sheepishly and kept my head down, trying not to show him my scared eyes.

"Aria… can we talk? …Please?" I sighed. I did want to talk about what happened, but not necessarily right now. All I wanted was a little time to myself. "I understand if you don't want to speak with me… but just let me apologize for my actions this morning."

I finally looked up at him. His eyes looked upset and sincere. It was odd how a simple change in looks from Jason could ease my feelings in an instant.

"Really, Jason. There's nothing to apologize for."

"Yes. Yes there is." He stepped closer to me, his hands still resting in his pockets. "I know you would never do something like what we say this morning. I was just angry and sometimes I can't control how I react."

"Really, it's okay. I-"

"Stop."

He was now right in front of me. He didn't look anything like the Jason I had encountered earlier. This one was calmer, shyer and more reserved, almost afraid even. His eyes looked like they held so much sorrow and disdain for what he had done. It honestly wasn't even that big of a deal, just a little scary for someone who hadn't seen that side of him before.

"I know it wasn't you. I know I scared you this morning and I know you're still scared of me, like you have every right to be. This whole… mess has gotten to me." He ran his fingers through his hair. "All I want is for this mess to be over. After Mona was sent to Radley I thought all this pain over Alison would be over… but now your friend Maya is missing as well as my sister's body. Who in the hell would do this…?"

I felt really bad for Jason. He was standing here, practically opening up to me, the first person he has ever done that to, and I had no answers for him. What good was I to talk to?

I had no response, and he knew that. He just shook his head and walked over to the edge of the cliff and sat down, Surprisingly, I followed him.

"Jason." I said softly. "This is hard for all of us, and trust me, I know what you're going through."

I was now standing right next to him and he looked up at me with his deep blue eyes. He looked so fragile, another first expression for me to see on the face of Jason DiLaurentis. It was like he was looking up at me for answers, answers that I didn't have but wished I did. This way I could have eased his soul and fixed his heart.

I didn't even have a clue how damaged it already was.

"I just-" He started, but couldn't even finish. He played with his hands in his lap and looked out onto the lake. "I just wish that everything would disappear. Just for a day. No one would talk about Alison, Maya or anything. It would just be like the world stopped, and I could be happy... just for a day."

If it wasn't for the fact that Jason was the one in need, I would have shed a tear. He had basically said everything that I had wanted to but never had the guts to admit. If the world just stopped for a day, maybe I could catch up to it. It was like running on a treadmill. You felt like you were running so hard and fast to figure out all your problems but in reality you were just running in place.

I dug through my purse and pulled out the two pieces of clay from the plant Jason destroyed earlier. I ran my fingertips over the porous surface and let out a small smile.

"Here."

I threw the piece gently down to Jason and he caught it with ease and curiousity.

"What is this?" He asked, examining it.

"This is any evidence of what happened this morning. Without this, no one will ever know you were there, or what happened to that poor, innocent plant."

I took my piece of clay and chucked it as hard and far as I could into the lake. I watched as it glided through in air and made small ripples in the water once it landed.

"Come on, your turn. Stand up."

I held out my hand for him to take. I saw him let a small smile creep to his lips and he took my hand and I pulled him to his feet.

"Now, take the shard and think of everything that makes you angry, and just chuck it as hard as you can and watch it disappear forever."

I heard him laugh. "Since when did you become Dr. Phil?" He chuckled freely.

"Since we started having this heart to heart. Now throw!"

He shook his head and made a serious face, like he was thinking of everything in the world he wished to get rid of. He then cocked his arm back and threw the piece of pottery out into the abyss of the lake.

"There… now that moment this morning never happened."

I couldn't help but smile myself. The whole incident this morning was causing me a lot of stress, and knowing that the evidence was gone was calming. It was also a relief to see Jason relaxed as well. It must have felt good to get some of his thoughts off his chest, even though it was to someone he didn't know very well.

"You didn't have to do that you know." He finally said after a peaceful silence. "You could have told them I was angry and broke the pot. They know I was there anyway since my truck is still stuck in your driveway."

He sat back down with his feet hanging off the edge of the cliff, but this time I joined him. I could feel the cool breeze against my skin as it was turning into midday. I should have been at Spencer's a while ago but it only felt like seconds when I was with Jason. It was a nice feeling to have.

"You worry too much."

He snorted. "You're one to talk."

"Yeah I know. But you don't need any more drama in your life. Trust me, if I have to hear another question from Wilden my brain might explode."

I heard him laugh freely for the first time all day. And not just a forced laugh, but a genuine one.

"But I'm serious. The shards of pottery are gone, my mom told the cops a false story about your truck and why it's in our driveway, and I already texted Toby. He's fixing your tire as we speak."

I thought covering all his bases would have provided some comfort, but he just looked more solemn.

I raised my brow at his downward look. "What?"

He sighed and looked me right in the eyes. "I didn't want your family to have to lie for me, and Toby doesn't have to fix MY car. It's not their problem to deal with, it's mine."

I knew where he was coming from, being a huge worry-wort myself. I could tell he was the type of person to put others before himself, even if he didn't give off that kind of vibe. It was upsetting to see someone who I thought was the strongest person in Rosewood, be so distressed and secretive at the same time.

I realized now that Jason was dealing with more than anybody in this town. Sure, he wasn't being blackmailed by a psycho like I was, but it was his sister and family that was destroyed. Half of his life had practically ended just because some sick individual didn't like Alison. It was absolutely disgusting to think about.

I took a long, hard look into his blazing baby blue eyes. It was as if we were both soul searching, but neither of us were letting our walls up. We were just two people, caught in the same twisted mess with the same fears and sorrows.

"No, Jason. That's where you're wrong. It's not just your problem, it's OURS."

For once in his life, I could tell Jason felt a sense of unity. He had never really had someone by his side through all this. His parents fled town after Ali had went missing, his best friend Ian Thomas was dead, and all of us girls treated him more like a suspect rather than a grieving brother.

Once again, I felt Jason's sincere smile radiate through the dense fall air. His hair was flowing in the breeze and he looked like for once in his life, just like he wanted, time had stopped.

It was just me and him resting on this cliff for who knows how long. It felt like minutes but I knew it had been hours. After a while of sitting looking out into the lake, I laid down at the plush grass and looked up into the trees. Leaves were falling beautiful onto the ground into small piles around us and it wasn't long before he laid down next to me, his hands resting behind his head.

We laid in silence for a good part of the time, not one of us daring to break the comforting silence we had created. We were both in an ignorant bliss, blocking out all the sorrows and woes from the town behind us.

I heard the leaves rustle next to me and I looked over at Jason. He was looking at me with a blank stare. It wasn't a creepy one like the girls describe it, but more like a deep thoughtful expression. It was just something Jason did naturally.

"Thank you, Aria. For everything you've done for me. You're the only person who ever gave me the opportunity to speak, and you listened to every word. It means a lot. I know it must be weird for you to talk to me like this, and I'm sure your friends will have a fit once you tell them... but it really did mean a lot to me... more than you know."

I smiled. I could tell he meant every word he said and it was nice to see this side of Jason.

I move my hand from my stomach and place my hand on his, which was resting down at this side. I felt him jump and tense a little, not expecting the contact, but he never pulled away. He relaxed after a few moments.

"I was never afraid of you, Jason. You don't have to worry about me running away, or me telling the girls. You helped me through last night, and now I'm going to help you."

"You don't owe me anything." He said confused.

"You're right, I don't. But that's just what friends do."

I could feel my heart beat flutter as I said the word 'friend.' Never in my wildest dreams would I have considered Jason DiLaurentis a friend. But over the course of a long day and hours' worth of heart-to-heart, I knew that I felt closer to him than I ever thought possible. Having us open up to each other, I realized that we are more a like than different. It was a comforting feeling to have. I didn't have to talk in fear about 'A' around him for gossip about boy problems. I finally talked to someone who was holding in as much as I was, and it was nice to hear from someone who thinks the same things I do.

He smiled at me and I squeezed his hand in reassurance. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even himself, but I was the only friend he had left. The death of Alison had consumed everyone's life, especially his. There was no time for friends, or fun things. It was all about uncovering the mystery behind his sister's death.

Since her disappearance in late 2009, Jason was alone. I could tell that for me to call him a friend was a huge step in the right direction for him. I could see he was a little skeptical and worried about what that might lead to, but as long as he seemed okay right now, I was happy.

The sound of my phone buzzing broke our eye contact. I felt myself jump a little bit but grabbed my phone with my free hand, making sure mine didn't move from Jason's.

_Car's all done! Whenever he's ready to pick it up(: -Toby_

"Hey, good news! Your cars done! Whenever you want to pick it up, it's waiting for you." I smiled and was so excited that things were looking up for not only me, but Jason as well.

I began to push myself up to walk us back to my house, but felt a tightening grip on my left hand. Jason was still laying still on the ground, looking at me with what looked like pleading eyes.

"Can we just stay here for a while, please? I don't want time to start back up again …I don't want to go back to Rosewood."

His eyes were so intense that I couldn't help but give in. Nobody in the right mind would want to go back to the madness that was the screwed up town we lived in. I could only imagine what it must be like for this man, who had to live in his sister's house, constantly being reminded of her day and night. It had to be painstakingly awful.

"Of course we can."

His hand never left mine as I repositioned myself into a comfier position on the ground next to him. I felt his hand shift over mind so that his fingers were intertwined with my smaller ones. At the moment because of our deep, friendly conversation, it felt like more of a comforting grip than a romantic one. But I felt myself blush at his readjustment and I hoped he didn't see it.

What I didn't see was the fact that Jason had the biggest smile on his face as I gripped his hand back in reassurance and we watched the clouds float cross the evening sky.

**Cutesy chapter! Hope you all are liking the building of their friendship. Will there be more? Review and stay tuned(; If I get more than usual I'll post quicker and quicker!**

**-Cheyenne**


	6. Chapter 6

**HOLY COW! Your reviews were absolutely amazing! I asked for 10 reviews and I got 11! **

**Super Duper Special Thanks to 1241070, PrettyGal, Celly731, jenn, CrazyLittleLiar, CaitlinFlannel, David121eca, hungergamesgirl, Friend to All, Always and a day Love, mariabrieva, cristinaheartowen, and last but definitely not least, jariafan15 (who took the extra time to PM me. LOVE IT!(:**

**And as I promised, updated early, Chapter 6!**

**-Cheyenne**

I laid there with Jason in the dense brush for another hour or so, just peacefully watching the sky darken as the late afternoon turned into night. The crescent moon was shining brightly through the gasps in the tree branches above us, radiating its light off of our skin.

I had received a few text messages within this time period, mostly from Spencer and my mother, asking where I was and why I wasn't back yet. Of course they were worried, but I just sent a few short texts reassuring them that I just needed some space to clear my head, which wasn't a lie, but I was also enjoying my time with the man next to me.

After yesterday and this morning, it was an odd feeling to see him so calm and relaxed. He laid there silently with me and watched as I texted my friends and family back, never saying a word to disrupt the peace we had silently created.

I found it interesting however, that he would tense a little when my phone buzzed. I could feel his hand tighten, which was still wrapped around my own, and his arm stiffen. I had no idea what made him so jumpy, but I pretended like I didn't notice anything, which was probably what he wanted in the first place.

_Buzz Buzz_

I felt him tense again, but he quickly relaxed when I opened my inbox and found out it was just my Mom again.

_You okay? It's getting late, come home please. –Mom_

I let out a sigh. I could tell he was reading the message along with me like he did all the others. Usually, I would have been offended and taken aback that someone was trying to read my messages, but I got the sense that Jason wasn't doing it to be a creep. He was just curious, as I probably would be in his situation.

I was the first to break the silence. "I'm sure you read that… She's right. I should be getting home soon."

I noticed his tan cheeks blush in the moonlight and it caused me to let a smile quirk up the corners of my lips.

"Sorry…" He answered timidly, knowing he had been caught. "I didn't mean to invade your personal space…"

"It's okay, Jase."

His head turned to mine and he gave me a puzzled look. "Did you just call me, Jase?"

All I could hear was silence. Did I just call my best friends brother a nickname? I didn't mean for it to be awkward or anything, it was one of those things that just slipped out. When I said it, I wasn't even thinking about what it might sound like, but the way he questioned it made me second guess how smart that was. It wasn't I called him a pet-name or anything of that nature, I just shortened the pronunciation by taking off a syllable... was that so weird?

"Ummm… yea." I said nervously, quickly pulling my hand away from his and standing up.

I noticed his reaction as opposed to mine. I was nervous, timid even. I picked myself off the ground and brushed the leaves off my back and combed out the ones that were in my hair with my fingers, trying desperately to avoid the pool of awkwardness that was setting between the two of us.

While I was trying to avoid looking at him in any possible way, I could feel his eyes on me, watching every move I made. He picked up his head off the ground, resting his head in the palm of his hand propped up by his elbow, and his face was filled with confusion and hurt, like what I had done had injured him in some way.

I finally looked back over to him just in time to see him show a sad smile and look back out onto the lake's horizon.

"Alison use to call me that when we were kids." He said solemnly, recalling the memory. "When she first began to talk she couldn't say 'Jason' very well so she shortened it to 'Jase.' She called me that for years until high school hit."

I watched him fiddle with his hands. He was playing with his fingers just for something to distract his attention.

"I'm sorry." I said, figuring I had crossed some sort of line.

"Don't be. It's been awhile since I've heard that name."

He shot me a sincere smile and I returned it, so glad that the awkward moment was over and avoided. I didn't think it would be a big deal, but with a man as confusing as the one resting next to me, I didn't want to take any chances.

"Well, I really should be getting home. After everything this morning I'm sure my parents and the girls are on edge."

Jason nodded in agreement and pushed himself off the ground, mimicking what I had done with brushing the leaves off his clothes and combing the leaves out of his hair, but much less femininely.

"I'll walk you." He said once he was finished.

I was expecting him to take my hand again considering the close proximity in which we were walking, but he never did. He just stuck his hands back in his pockets and kept looking down at the ground and the path ahead of us.

It would be an understatement to say that this situation was awkward, but I can't think of a better word to describe it. It kind of hit the both of us at the same time that we had just had a heart to heart with each other and held hand for a few hours. I knew I was running the events of the past two days in my head and I got the impression that he was doing the same. It was quite the experience to realize that I was becoming closer with Ali's older brother, as was he with me.

I'm not going to lie, I'm not as freaked out about it as I should be.

I knew if I told any of the girls what happened today that they would for sure give me a lecture on the dangers of Jason DiLaurentis, and I could see where they were coming from. He was a big, tough, quiet and kind of shady guy who had done more than enough stupid things in his life to earn some suspicion. But I was the only one that could tell he was batting for the good team. He told me things tonight that I never thought even existed in that mysterious mind of his. Maybe that's why I trusted him more than anybody else. It was because I was the only one he told those things to.

"You okay, Aria?"

Jason's masculine voice snapped me out of my thoughts and caught me off guard. I barely heard what he said and it took me awhile to process his words, probably longer than it normally should have.

"Yea, I'm fine." I said quickly.

I heard him sigh and watched as he took his hand out of his jeans pocket and ran a finger through his blonde hair.

"Hey, I'm really sorry if I over stepped some boundaries today… I know you've been through a lot and hearing my opinion probably doesn't help."

He never specifically referred to the hand holding but I knew he was thinking about it just as much as I was. It wasn't every day I hold hands with a guy I barely know on a personal level, but by the downward cast of his eyes to his feet I could sense that he sincere. This was one of those situations where nobody really wants to mention or talk about it, but the air is always better once it is cleared. I'm glad he was the first to say something.

"Don't worry about it. No lines were crossed." I assured him, touching his bicep in a comforting manner. I wasn't too surprised when he tensed but I still quickly pulled away, crossing my arms over my chest to block out the cool fall air. "I'm actually glad we finally hit this point. I mean, I've known you for years now but we never really talked until today. It was nice to humanize you."

My last joking remark caused him to let out a small and short chuckle.

"Good to hear I wasn't human before."

Finally the tone was back to a softer one and we walked back onto the main roads of Rosewood in silence. I knew it had to be somewhere between eight and nine o'clock and it was still a good fifteen minute walk back to my house.

"So ummm… you wanna play a game?"

It appears I have a habit of catching this man off guard because once again he looked at me and raised his eyebrow, which I noticed he does when he is confused.

He turned his head back towards the road and smirked. "You're not going to go all SAW III on me now are you?"

"Who me? Never…" I responded sarcastically back at him.

"Okay… well what kind of game then?" He asked with curiosity.

Truth is, I was thinking about playing this game with him back at the lake, but I didn't want to spoil the nice, peaceful silence we had gathered. It was too rare of a moment to pass up.

"I was thinking twenty questions?"

I heard him let out a deep chuckled like he was finding my idea amusing. It was no secret we barely knew anything about each other, and after our conversations today, I figured it could be a continuation of us getting to know one another on a more personal level. After all, today was a better time than ever since a lot of our walls were down. This could be the one and only time he would let me into that mysterious mind of his.

"Alright." He finally said with another small chuckle. "Start us off, Montgomery."

I looked up at the sky to think of a good question to start with. Of course I had more posing questions lurking around in the bowels of my brain, mostly some that Spencer would like me to asked, mainly ones which referred back to Alison.

"What's your favorite color?"

Okay now that was a dumb question. I could have asked anything in this entire universe and I chose the stereotypical color question. I'm such a pansy. But from what I could see, he enjoyed the simplicity to start out with and smiled again.

"Blue." I rolled my eyes at the predictable answer. "What? I'm not like Hanna who can name every Crayola crayon color in the sixty-four pack box."

Okay, now that was super funny. I let out the biggest laugh I had given in the last week or so slip. It had been a long time since a genuine laugh came out of my mouth. With all the stress in my life, they were usually just poised for others so I would seem okay.

But, that was honestly the last thing I expected to come out of his mouth. I soon listened as he laughed along with him. It was a soothing sound and it eased my fears about this game with him.

"Since when were you mister funny guy?" I teased.

"Does that count as another question?"

"Only if you want it to."

He smirked. "I'll let you slide with that one." He paused to think of his answer, trying to be more serious. "I don't know really. I never really was the funny type. Sometimes a few things I say can be humorous; it just depends on the mood I'm in."

"And what kind of a mood are you in right now?"

I saw him smirk as I challenged him. "I'll count that as a question."

Damn, I thought to myself. I had so many things to ask them and I was wasting them away without even realizing what I was saying.

"Relaxed." He finally said after a long pause. "I haven't felt this calm in a very long time. For once I'm not worried about the press or the police. I'm just talking with a friend, playing twenty questions like I was in high school again. It's nice."

I looked into his amazing green eyes and smiled. He did genuinely look happy, a look I had never seen him wear before. It was as if, like he said, time had stopped and it was just us to, having a friendly conversation and getting to know one another.

"My turn?" He asked. I nodded and let him think. "Why did you get rid of your pink hair?"

"Ha!" I accidently let my amused laugh slip. "Why, did you like it?"

"Maybe. But that counts as a question."

Oh my. Am I flirting with Jason DiLaurentis? I didn't even realize until now. But when I asked my last question inadvertently and he answered with a sly tone, I noticed my heart was racing. Surprisingly, it wasn't a bad feeling at all. I would just all it a harmless, enjoyable conversation, at least that's what settled my thoughts.

"Well," I finally said "After I moved to Iceland for the summer I wanted to start over, rid myself of all the past memories. I guess my hair was just part of that change."

He nodded like he understood my answer and we continued walking. Technically, it was my turn to ask a question, but because of my accidental ones he went again.

"Honestly, did I cross a line tonight… with the whole hand thing?"

He tone was sheepish like he had wanted to ask the question but was too nervous to. I could tell he had been thinking about this for a while and I honestly didn't think it was that big of a deal, but I guess in his eyes, as well as anyone else's, it probably looked bad. I mean, if someone were to see us interacting like that, I'm sure it would have looked like we were together on some sort of romantic level, but with a sensitive subject like the gravestones this morning, it wasn't anything like it seemed.

"No, Jason. You didn't step over any boundaries. I told you before, it was a sensitive moment and you wanted someone by your side instead of on the other side of the fence for a change."

There was that look again. The look he gives people when he's trying to communicate with his eyes. It was like he was searching my soul to see if that was the real answer, an ability he apparently possessed because he seemed satisfied with my answer.

"It did mean a lot, Aria. Thank you."

I smiled and gave him a small friendly shove. He laughed and moved back into place right next to me, taking his hands out of his pockets, almost as if his pockets symbolized the barrier to his thoughts, and he was letting them freely roam around him like an aurora.

"Why did you always tense every time I touched you?"

The question slipped out before I could even snatch it back. My heart melted as I watched him sigh and once again slide his fingers through his disheveled hair. I think if anyone had crossed the line it was me, but being a good sport, he answered.

"It's been a long time since I've had anyone close to me. Even when my parents were in town, I had always been pretty closed off. I'm sure you noticed whenever you saw me." I could tell he was referring to the drugs and drinking, so I just nodded and let him continue. "It's not that it's you specifically who makes me tense, it's just letting my guard down is new to me. Don't take it personally."

"I don't." I quickly said, reassuring him that I didn't mind his openness with me.

He let out a loud sigh and I could tell it felt good for him to say that again. He was relaxing back down into the state he was in at the lake.

"I was just surprised when you held my hand." I finally said, gathering my courage.

He snorted. "Yea… me too."

We were both being honest. I had no idea what possessed him to grab my hand like he did, but I sensed that he didn't really have any sort of a clue either. It was just a reaction to all the events of the day, I told myself. Everyone has intimate moments like that and they need comfort in some way. Jason's moment just happened to be with me, and his escape from the real world was in the touch of the skin on my hand.

We just made it onto my street when he asked his final question for the night.

"Not to get too personal, but who was your last relationship with?"

Ouch. That question hit a soft spot in my chest. I knew Jason didn't know a thing about my past relationship with Ezra, considering no one knew except my best friends and my family. I wasn't about to let him show that his question caught me off guard, because I knew he didn't mean to bring up any sort of bad memories.

We were getting into our game, and I knew that, but it was weird to hear such an off the topic question from him.

"Well… it's a really long story. So don't judge when I tell you!" I told him, waving my finger in a serious tone like a mother scolding her child.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He said seriously.

I watched as his left hand inched closer to mine as we walked, like he was going to grab my hand in a comforting way so I could tell my story without judgment.

In all honesty, I was waiting for that reassuring hand to squeeze mine, it was like a ray of hope that even with my poorer decisions, there was going to be someone who could relate or have another interesting story to equal up to mine. I felt the smile creep to my lips as we both watched his hand move towards mine. His fingertips were just gently brushing my skin…

_Buzz Buzz. Buzz Buzz._

His hand quickly retracted back at the sound of my phone going off. I internally cursed the person who was calling me at the worst time of the night. My hand angrily slipped into my shorts pocket and snatched my phone out. His hands retreated back into his pockets; I knew from that point open time had ended.

I figured it was just Spencer or my mother being paranoid about where I was, but the caller ID caught me off guard and I stopped right in my tracks.

Jason looked a little worried by my sudden reaction and looked back curiously.

"What's wrong? Who is it?"

I reread the caller ID several times just to make sure I read it right. "I-It's your mom…"

Now he was really interested. He quickly stepped back next to me and watched as her picture flashed on my phone. It was a picture of her at Alison's beach house when she took us girls there for the summer. She insisted this was the only decent photo of her, even though she was practically flawless just like the rest of her family.

Jason only stared at me with anticipation as I finally answered her call.

"H-Hello?" I stutterd.

"Aria? Hi, It's Jessica DiLaurentis!"

Her perky voice was refreshing but at the same time surprising. It had been a very long time since I had spoken with her and I could tell by the look on Jason's face that it was the same way for him. He leaned in closer to my face and pressed his ear up to the other side of my phone, hoping to hear some of the conversation. I leaned up on my tiptoes a little bit so it was easier for him to bend down, considering our extreme height difference.

"Oh, Hello Mrs. DiLaurentis." I said, acting like I didn't know it was her at first.

"I have something I wanted to talk to you and the girls about. Would it be possible for you ladies to meet me after school at the Rosewood Grill, let's say around five o'clock?"

"Ummmm, yea sure. Sounds like a plan."

"Great!" She said cheerfully. "I can't wait to see you girls. Enjoy your night, Aria."

Without even a goodbye, she hung up her phone and I was left listening to the dial tone. Well that was an extremely short talk... I hesitantly stuffed my phone back in my pocket before beginning the walk back to my house.

I almost forgot about Jason who was just as surprised as I was about the call from his mother. He stood back up, straightening out his back before jogging back up to me.

"Well?" He asked. "What did she say?"

His eyes looked like they were starving for answers. His eyebrows were cast down in such a manner that he looked a cross between worried and excited.

"She just said she wanted to talk to Hanna, Emily, Spencer and I tomorrow at the grill. Apparently she has something she wants to talk to us about. She sounded excited."

Jason didn't say a single word the rest of the way back to my house. I could tell he was thinking intently on what his mother could have wanted to talk to us about, most likely something about Alison. I was positive he didn't know anything about the phone or that he hadn't heard from his mother in who knows how long.

The only sound we made was our sneaker tapping off of the pavement sidewalk which led up to my house. I saw that Jason's truck was still in our driveway but it wasn't on its broken tilt anymore. Toby stayed true to his word and fixed up Jason's tire.

"Looks like Toby did a pretty good job." I said finally.

Jason walked up to his truck and bent down at the new tire. "Yea, and by the looks of it the tires brand new." I acted as if though I could tell his tire was new and fancy but I didn't have any sort of clue how he could tell. "I'll have to thank him next time I see him around school."

After moments of long eye contact, he looked at me with those piercing blue eyes of his. That stare he did was so incredibly mesmerizing that I couldn't tear my eyes away from his. He was trying to read out what I was thinking, which in truth wasn't much of anything.

Then I remembered that his clothes and car keys were still my house. He obviously wasn't going to get far without those.

"If you want to come inside I can grab you your clothes and keys?"

He gave me a small smile in agreement Jason followed me through the front doors of my house as a wave of warm air washed over us. It was refreshing to feel after a long day out in the cool August air. I could see through the hallway of my house that there was police tape wrapped around the glass doors leading to the back patio. It sent a shiver down my spine to recall the image of Alison's gravestone... as well as Jason's fake one.

"Aria?" I heard my mom say from the kitchen.

"I'm home, Mom."

I walked into the kitchen with Jason close behind me. My mother had her back towards us and I noticed she was getting ready to put away dinner. She had out to aluminum foil, several plates and silverware as well as the dirty dishes that were piled unceremoniously in the sink.

"I police finally left just before you came in and-"

My mother turned around and stopped mid-sentence once she saw that Jason was with me. He looked down shyly, not meaning to interrupt or startle my mom.

"Oh, hello there, Jason." She said, trying to be as polite as possible.

"Hello, Mrs. Montgomery."

Oh boy was this awkward. I know my mom still had mixed feelings about my friend-relationship with Jason. Of course, she didn't know the whole entire story, but that was probably for the best. If she really knew everything about the whole basketball and broken pot situation, things would really be bad.

You could cut the tension with a knife.

My mother cleared her throat and got our attention back to her.

"So, Jason. I was just about to tell Aria there's still food left if you would like to join. I made lasagna."

I could tell by my mother's tone she was trying to be as nice as possible. She wasn't the type of person to judge people, so if I was willing to give Jason a chance, then she was too.

"Oh, no thank you." He said quickly. "Aria was just letting me grab my clothes and keys and I was going to head out. I don't want to disrupt your dinner."

"Don't been silly, Jason you're not disrupting anything. But at least let me make you a plate to take home."

Jason didn't argue any further with my mom as she made him a plate of lasagna and wrapped the plate in tin foil so it would stay fresh for the drive.

As she was doing that, I grabbed Jason's clothes from the top of the dryer and handed them to him. He gave me a small and quiet 'thanks' as we both began to look around the living room for his car keys.

"Mom! Do you know were Jason's keys are?" I yelled from the living room.

"Yea, Toby had them." She said walking into the living room with Jason's take home plate in her hand. "He put in on the counter. He forgot his car jack and had to use yours, Jason.

My mother gently tossed him the keys from the counter.

"Thanks, Mrs. Montgomery."

"Please, call me Ella."

He nodded in her direction and then took a long hard look at me. His clothes, keys and now his plate of food my mother handed him were now resting in his hand but it was like they didn't even exist. It was just him and I in that living room, reliving what had happened in the last 48 hours. If his hands weren't so large and masculine, he probably would have dropped everything onto our night white carpet.

"Well… I better get going…" He finally said, walking towards the door. "Thanks for the food, Ella." He looked at my mother before she had the chance to walk away, she smiled at him. "See you around, Aria."

My name rolled off his tongue and it sent a chill down my spine. I brushed it off and figured it was from the cool air hitting my bare skin as he was letting himself out and not from the handsome man standing in front of me.

We stared blankly at each other in what seemed like forever. It was almost as if Jason didn't want to leave, fearing that the bond we shared today would disappear with the rising sun tomorrow morning.

"See you tomorrow, Jase."

I sent him a friendly smile. He looked down to hide the smile that was also playing on his face, probably embarrassed from his new nickname I called him.

He looked back up at me one last time before turning heal and walking to his truck. I closed the door but waited behind it until I heard his engine running and the disappearing sound of his tires against my driveway.

I let my heartbeat settle for a few moments before I looked back over to my mother who was staring at me from the threshold of the kitchen. She had a sly smirk on her lips.

"Ohhh do you have a lot to tell me." She muttered like a teenage girl.

I rolled my eyes but smiled. I told Jason I wouldn't tell the girls about what happened today at the lake, knowing they would judge and jump to conclusions, but I never said anything about my mom.

I smiled and I walked back up to her and gave her a hug, before I gossiped about my interesting encounter with the man down the street.

My mom listened intently the whole way through my story before I received a text from Emily, asking if I was still coming over to Spencer's. I replied with a yes and quickly packed my clothes, ready to have a girly night with my best friends.

I waved to my mom goodbye and as I walked down the street to Spencer's, I could help but stare at a certain neighbor of hers with their living room light still on. In my soul I just knew that Jason DiLaurentis was thinking about the interesting events of tonight, just like I was doing as I walked into Spencer's living room.

Before I could even sit my bags down onto the floor Hanna ran up to me and held her phone barely an inch from my face.

"Please tell me you have an answer for this." She said in a sassy, assertive tone.

I backed away from the shining iPhone screen so my eyes could focus on the message itself. My heart almost sunk when I read the words and looked at the attached picture beneath it.

_How will Aria explain herself with this one? Looks like one of you liars has something to hide. –A_

And there was a picture of Jason and I on the cliff above the lake, holding hands and smiling at one another. If this wasn't such a cryptic 'A' message, it actually would have been a super cute and nice picture.

"Aria." Spencer said questioningly, walking up to where I was standing at the doorway. "You have some explaining to do."

And boy was she right. Leave it to 'A' to ruin my almost peaceful night.

**Another cutesy chapter, but I promise the next one will have more drama!**

**Review review review for another quick update(:**

**-Cheyenne**


	7. Chapter 7

**Alright ladies and gentlemen, this chapters a long one so I hope you guys can bare with me!**

**Special thanks to Friend to All, ihavealifeiswear, CrazyLittleLiar, cristinaheartowen, mariabrieva, 1241070, remmyxo, Jackie, jariafan15, Jenn23, reneparanoiaxx, booklover1995, LoVeDelena13, SwanQueen4055, and talv1914! Your updates are always super and wonderful!**

**Enjoy Chapter 7!**

**-Cheyenne**

"It's not what it looks like."

How cliché. I don't think I could have pulled a more stereotypical answer out of my ass than I did with that one. I mean, in retrospect it was the honest to God truth, but of course the girls weren't going to see it that way.

I didn't have to look at Hanna to see she was giving me the 'are you kidding me' face. I could just feel the intense vibes radiating throughout the room. It was like they wanted to yell, scream, and fight me to the death until I told them… but they were surprising quiet.

I looked around to each member of our little posse Alison had formed all those years ago.

Emily was sitting on the couch, her elbows resting on her knees with an upset expression. Out of all of us, she was the most sensitive and fragile. I could tell she was taking it personally that I didn't tell her what was going on with Jason and I, even though there was nothing to tell.

Hannah had her sassy face on and was taping her foot on Spencer's hardwood floors. Her hands were on her hips and I noticed she looked like the spitting image of her mom. I remember getting that look from Ashley Marin a lot when Hanna was making the transition from nerd to glamor girl because of all the trouble we would get into.

And of course there was Spencer. Her arms were crossed in an authoritative manner with her foot also tapping rhythmically on the floor along with Hanna's. Her brows were cast down, making sure that when I looked at her she knew that I knew she was angry with me. Her navy blue blazer was unbuttoned and it looked as if she were ready to throw down if I gave any crappy answers.

It was going to be a long night.

"I was just comforting a friend." I finally stated as cool as I could.

Spencer scoffed. "That's not what it looks like here."

I let out a sigh, and without even realizing it, I ran my fingers through my hair in a very Jason like fashion. It was an odd feeling knowing he was rubbing off on me after such a short amount of time.

"Just let me explain. I'll tell you guys everything, but can I please sit my stuff down first? I don't need to be interrogated again today."

They seemed to relax and their eyes slipped from mine. I took this as my sign to place my things down upstairs in Spencer's room and change out of my running clothes and into my pajamas.

I could hear the girls start to follow me as I slid on my sports bra and my matching black plaid pajama pants. I put on an extra swipe of deodorant as Emily walked into the room, followed by Spencer and Hanna.

I heavily sat down on the bed and let out a large huff of air.

"Alright… where do I begin…"

I knew in the depths of my heart that Jason was going to feel betrayed when he found out I told my friends, especially after I specifically told him I wasn't going to do such a thing. I imagined his face when I confessed that I told our secret to the people he didn't want knowing about him at this point in time.

I was between was seemed like an oversized boulder and a concrete wall.

The story took me an hour to explain in detail, making sure that all the points of why there was handholding were covered. I told them that I made the first move, hoping to save Jason a little criticism was the girls would interrogate him about it sometime in the future, which I knew was inevitable.

I was able to not mention the details about Alison and how Jason would have liked the world to stop just for a day, as well as our surprise game of twenty questions. Hopefully this way the girls wouldn't be as critical.

But I did happen to mention something that I wasn't quite planning on telling them just yet…

"I think I trust him."

Emily's eyes went wide for the first time during my whole story. "You trust one of the people that we think might have killed Alison?" Her voice was quiet as if she didn't even want to say it herself.

"That's the thing… I don't think he has anything to do with it. Seriously, what evidence do we even have against him?"

"The fact that he is a total creep and stares people down like it's his job."

I glared at Hanna. "That's just his expression. He's not doing it to be creepy, Han, that's just his way of finding out if people are trust worthy."

"And you think he's finds you trust worthy?" Emily asked, now more comfortable with the conversation.

I almost let out a smile as I thought of my answer. "Yea… I think since after Alison's death, he hasn't had anyone around to help him through this like we have each other." I saw them look down at their feet. I knew they felt bad for him too. "He's grieving like we are… but he doesn't have anyone to make sure he's okay, so he hides it back by keeping held up in that house of his."

Silence. It seemed like this time would never come, but finally the all of us were silent. I knew internally that they were really thinking about what I told them. We could all relate to the pain Jason was feeling but what we couldn't understand was the feeling of being completely alone. We've always had each other.

"I think Aria has a point." Emily said, looking back up at me. "Whoever this new 'A' person is, is obviously blackmailing Jason as well. He's trapped in this picture too and it was his gravestone next to Ali's, not any of ours."

"So you think 'A' is going after Jason now? But what for?" Hanna's question caused a thoughtful pause.

"Maybe he's hiding something."

We all looked up at the woman in the blazer to see her accusing gaze. I knew she was going to be the one who was the toughest to crack. She was a true member of the Hasting's family and that included her stubborn attitude.

She saw my slight glare and shrugged her shoulders dramatically. "Well what else could it be, Aria!? Everyone 'A' has gone after gets too close to finding out the truth and ends up dying! Look at what happened to, Ian! He was pushed off a bell tower because he was trying to tell us something that could have solved Alison's murder!"

With every ounce of blood in me I wanted to disagree, but I knew she had a point. Every person who was involved with Ali was a target, and everyone who learned to much information was being brought down and destroyed.

I looked over to Hanna and thought about the day we almost lost her when Mona ran over her with a car. She could have died and it was only a matter of time before someone else would fall victim to one of 'A's attacks.

"Please listen to me…" My pleading voice caught everyone's attention; they looked at me with the same expressions of worry and fear. "I know Jason is still a top suspect for people who could be 'A'… but I truly believe he's on our side… All I'm asking is for you guys to let him be innocent until proven guilty. He has done nothing wrong thus far. After all, we suspected Caleb and Toby and now look where they are."

Finally, Spencer didn't have anything to say. After a year of incriminating evidence against Toby we found out he was on our side, and Spencer even ended up falling for his charm. She was caught in one of her own traps, and I knew she wasn't going to get out of this one.

"Fine." She said angrily. "But I'm not going to be all buddy-buddy with him. I can except and understand the fact that you want to give him a chance, but I won't."

I knew I wasn't going to get any farther with her, so I let the case drop and relaxed on her bed. This was only the beginning of problems to come with Jason and I's new found friendship, but I was already starting to feel the effects of all the stress.

It wasn't long before I drifted off into a restless sleep, dreaming about midnight eyes watching me from the trees.

* * *

I had been rolling around on Spencer's bed for a good two hours or so now, accidently waking up Hanna who was lying beside me. I just couldn't seem to get rested or comfy enough to wonder off into a cozy slumber, and when I did it was only for a few moments before I had nightmares of being watched.

I was so frustrated but then again I couldn't really blame myself. I was for sure getting stalked by some freak that had stolen Alison's body and threatened my friends and I in some way shape or form. It was not a surprise to me that I was unable to get a good night's rest, but that doesn't mean it was any less annoying.

_Thump_

Oh shit. What the hell was that?

I looked around the girls to see if any of them had moved, but all of them were peacefully sleeping. Hannah was rolled over so I couldn't see her face, Spencer was on the floor next to me curled in a small ball, and Emily was practically knocked out by the foot of the bed.

None of them seemed to have awakened from the almost noiseless sound. I brushed it off and tried to closed my eyes, praying that maybe I could get some sleep before school tomorrow and be partially awake to meet Mrs. DiLaurentis.

_CRACK_

This time, I shot up in the bed and snapped my head over towards the closed door of Spencer's room. I also took noticed that all the girls woke up to this sound as well, even Emily who had been dead asleep since we walked upstairs.

"What was that…?" Emily said in a worry, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders to keep warm.

"I don't know." I said quickly.

I my teenage mind I felt like if I were to even move, that whatever made that sound would know I was there. I felt so much like a scared child at this moment in time, but it seemed like the other girls were thinking the same thing.

"Is it your parents?"

"They shouldn't be home until next week…" Spencer's voice was lost, which was a scary thing for me considering she was always the rock of the group.

I saw Spencer slowly get up off the floor, her blankets falling unceremoniously to the floor as her body straightened out. Her hair was up in a messy bun and all she had on was a tank top and booty shorts.

All of us girls watched as she moved over to the door, looking back at us with worried eyes before turning the door handle. Hanna got up and stood a few inches behind her; Emily and I soon followed suit.

We all looked down the hall to see nothing but darkness and the dimmed kitchen like shining up the stairs in the distance. The hallway seemed peaceful and completely silent. Nothing appeared to be amiss in the Hasting's household.

Out of nowhere, an ominous black shadow cross over the wall and disappeared behind the stairs. All of us jumped and let out a gasp. The hairs on our necks were standing on end and I could feel everyone stiffen.

"Spence… there's someone in your house." Hanna finally said, barely audible.

Spencer slightly nodded but never looked back at us; she just kept her eyes focused on the wall lit up by the kitchen light. Maybe she thought this was all just a dream and didn't want to turn her head away, but we all knew she was smarter than that.

I saw Spencer take a few cautious steps forward into the hallway and towards the downstairs area. We all were close on her heals, myself picking up the rear.

Our feet moved as if we were walking on glass, knowing that if we made any sounds the intruder in her house might hear. I watched as Spencer peeked downstairs just enough to see into the first half of the kitchen. She shook her head signaling that she didn't see anyone.

We carefully tip-toed in the kitchen, all of us trying to hide behind the person in front. Poor Spencer was just stuck being the escape goat of this whole ordeal.

After Emily stepped foot onto the crisp white floors of Spencer's kitchen, I was the last to have a look around. No one was in here. The emptiness was enough to swallow a person whole, despite the fact that there were four of us total in one room.

I shivered. "What is it so cold in here?" I asked, wrapping my arms around my still bare chest, only being covered by a sports bra.

"Guys… someone was in here…"

We all looked over to Spencer who was standing next to a wide open back door. Hanna shivered but I wasn't sure if that was from the cold or from fear. I'm almost positive it was a little bit of both.

Spencer was once again leading the group outside and onto her back patio. Her once beautiful outdoor furniture looked incredible creepy in the dark shadows from the tress. The forest that was behind her house made the night seemed pitch black, even the moons bright rays were no match for the dense evergreen branches.

We were all scanning the area, our eyes squinted to try to make out any sort of images in the night, but it was just too dark. We were lucky enough to see each other's faces and we were only a few feet apart.

_CRACK_

The sound of shattering glass was deafening in the silent night. It was like a mirror had dropped from a thousand feet up and crashed down right in front of us.

"AHH!"

Our screams didn't seem to be as loud as the noise that caused them, but I'm sure it was a close second.

The pounding of running footsteps seemed to echo in our ears. It felt like there were steps coming from all directions, surrounding us with no escape. It was a helpless feeling to have one of your senses taken away. It was almost like we had no idea how to function in this situation, and our ability to protect ourselves was completely gone.

The sounds of cracking twigs and leaves seemed to be radiating in both of my ears, making my eardrums feel like they were on over time trying to decipher where they were coming from. Most of them seemed to be disappearing off into the distance, getting softer and softer with each step they ran, but one pair seemed to be getting closer, and at an alarming rate.

All of us seemed to pick up on it because we all held our breath, waiting for the oncoming attack. Who knows what was going to happen.

The beats of their steps were getting louder and louder as they ran closer to our location. Because of how we were placed, I was the closest one from the general direction of where the perpetrator was coming from.

I braced myself. I could feel the person was a few steps in front of me and I listened for the perfect moment. I closed my eyes in a combination of fear and at an attempt to focus the sound of their shoes. As soon as I heard them hit the patio I brought my leg up and swung as hard as I can.

"AH!" I yelled in attack, using all of my might.

I felt my kick being blocked by the other person's leg; they must have raised it up in defense. I didn't even want to open my eyes to see the horror that might be in front of me. Their tight grip on my shin seemed to be unbearable, but in retrospect they weren't even gripping that tight.

"Aria! What the hell!"

That voice. My eyes snapped open and I looked into those familiar baby blues.

"J-Jason?" I questioned hesitantly, scared that it might not be true.

"What the hell are you guys doing out here?"

Jason let my leg go and it fell to the concrete with a thud. I wasn't quite ready for him to drop my leg so I stumble a bit when he did. I regained myself quickly.

His eyes were filled with worry and he was leaning over slightly, trying to get a closer look at my face to see if I was alright.

When the girls and I didn't answer, he spoke up again. "I heard a huge crash and then heard you girls screaming. What happened?"

"There's someone out there…" Emily said shivering.

Just as if they were to prove her point, a loud snap of a twig echoed through the trunks of the trees.

We all jumped and I noticed that Jason did too, but he quickly regained himself and gave us all a stern look.

"Go inside. Now."

Jason's stern voice was very powerful and demanding. Even though these people we still out there, his voice made me feel safe, or at least a little bit calmer than I was. He gave me an intense look and instantly knew to obey.

All of us watched as Jason turned on his flash light and ran into the dark abyss of the trees. His light was scanning all over the area in hopes of finding someone. The only thing that let us know where he is was his light randomly running over all of the tree trunks. But it wasn't long before even that became too hard to see as he ran off further into the trees.

Spencer, Emily and I began to walk back into the house while Hanna just stared out into the night. We looked back at her in confusion.

"Come on, Han. Let's go inside where it's warm." Emily said softly, her arms crossed over her chest.

Hanna never stopped looking into the distance. "It's the loft. They shattered the window in the loft."

Her voice was full of enlightenment and we all looked at each other as if it was the most obvious thing. We all silently agreed with our body language that we were going to investigate as we ran off through the dewy grass, our bare feet freezing and getting wet in the process.

Spencer turned the handle and slowly pushed in the door. The creaking of its hinges gave me an eerie feeling, like I was being transported into a bad horror movie from the 70s.

Instantly, Emily kicked on the light to see that the window on the right was indeed shattered. A brick was resting amongst the debris with a bright white letter wrapped to the front. A beautiful bright red bow was keeping the brick and paper connected, but Hanna ripped it off quickly and opened the note with hast. She read it aloud.

"My, my, it wasn't very hard to scare you girls, now was it? Mona may have played with dolls, but I play with body parts. Watch out bitches, you're in for a bumpy ride and I just unfastened your seatbelts. –A"

Now I definitely felt like I was in a horror movie. Not only was there for sure a new 'A' coming to torment us, but this time they stole Alison's body. This was getting to a whole new level of crazy. The person who is doing this must really be a psychopath.

Out in the distance we could here running footsteps again and all of us froze. Hanna quickly stuffed the note down her shirt and stiffened her hands by her sides.

"Spencer!"

"Hanna!"

I saw Spencer's eyes get wide and her shoulders relaxed.

"Toby? Caleb?"

Two muscular boys came sprinting into the loft like they had just run a marathon. But of them were in there pajama's, sweating profusely even though of the chilly temperatures. Toby was wearing plaid pajama pants similar to mine, only blue, and Caleb was in baggy sweatpants and a white tank top.

"What are you doing here?" Hanna said, running up to Caleb and squeezing him tight.

"I got a text saying that you were in trouble and I rushed over here." His voice was hitched and panicked. Caleb looked Hanna up and down like he was looking for any kind of traumatic injuries.

I saw Toby hug Spencer like he had received the same text, but when his eyes caught onto the window, his face changed from worried to afraid. He paced over to the window and grabbed the brick, constantly looking back and forth between the two.

"Who did this, Spencer?" Toby said assertively.

Spencer just shook her head in a rigid sort of manner. None of us knew exactly what to say. If we were to tell them we didn't know, we wouldn't necessarily be lying, but we would still feel awful. Then then again it wasn't like we could just come out about 'A.' This sick and twisted human being would somehow harm them if they had any idea what we were dealing with.

Caleb wrapped his arm around Hanna's shoulders and began to guide her back into the house. I could tell she curled up a bit from the cold and was shivering.

Toby was beginning to get to that point as well, seeing as he had no shirt on. He nodded at Spencer suggesting they do the same and he grabbed her hand. She held on to his with all her might, not afraid to show her boyfriend she was afraid.

Emily and I followed closely behind them back out into the cold grass. Each step was like a painful spike digging into my feet. I almost had forgotten how cold Pennsylvania could get at night during the fall.

There was a crack of a twig and we all snapped around in fright. Toby and Caleb stepped forward protectively, ready to strike, but the flashing of a light shone through the night and blinded their eyes.

"Hey!"

That familiar voice sang through my ears as I watched the man who owned it jog up to us. I saw the boys relax as well as the girls; even Spencer seemed to be calm about the man she thinks could be sketchy.

Jason's blonde hair was bouncing all along his face and his sneakers were covered in mud from the thick underbrush from the forest. He was panting heavily like he was sprinting the whole time, his hoodie sleeves were rolled up and an old pair of worn our basketball shorts were hanging loosely of his hips.

Once he was close enough to us he stopped running and slowed his pace, stopping a few feet in front of us all.

"I didn't see anyone out there, but-"

Before I could even stop myself, I lunged at Jason, wrapping my arms strongly around his waist and burying my face into his chest. I combination of earth and old cologne filled my nostrils and provided me comfort.

I had totally forgotten that Jason had ran out by himself into the dark forest to search for 'A.' It didn't hit me until now that he risked his life out there hunting for a sadist and possible murderer, even if he didn't realized it himself.

I felt after a long and pregnant pause I felt his arms begin to wrap around me, bringing me closer to his warmth. I didn't care what anyone would think, all I wanted right now was comfort.

I figured that this was probably super awkward for him, admitting to me earlier that he wasn't use to being this close to someone. I was sure this hug was crossing his comfort boundaries, but he didn't pull away or push me back. He patiently stood there and hugged me and I could feel his arms pushing against my upper back, pulling me closer to him.

"Jason, you went out looking for them?"

Toby's concerned and manly voice interrupted our moment of silence. Jason slowly released me from his grasp but made sure one hand was still lingering on my shoulder, keeping me close to him at all times.

"Yea, I heard the girls scream from my room next door. I ran over here and they said they heard someone run into the woods. I went out to go see if I could find them."

Caleb once again started walking inside with Hanna on his arm. The rest of us started to follow and I noticed Jason kept a hand loosely on my back, guiding me to the patio.

"What are you guys doing here?" Jason asked puzzled as Hanna pushed the back door open for us to go through.

The rush of warm air hit my skin and it sent a pleasant shiver down my spine. I saw that everyone else did the same thing, even the man standing next to me who had just run for a good half hour.

Toby and Caleb explained to Jason how they ended up here, while Spencer and Emily started making some hot chocolate for us to warm up with. The boys took a seat around the island in the kitchen while the girls and I plopped down in the living room, waiting for the stove to heat up.

We all looked around at each other and occasionally glanced back at the guys. We could hear them chatting about what they saw or didn't see in the background.

"What the heck was that all about?" I said, leaning into the middle of us so the boys couldn't hear.

"I don't know… why would they have brought Toby and Caleb? What do they have to do with anything?"

Emily's question brought a worried look to Spencer and Hanna's faces. I could tell their minds were racing with the worst possible scenarios of what 'A' could have possibly wanted with the boys.

"Okay but let's just be thankful 'A' didn't do anything besides break a window." I said reasonably, calming them down. "Yeah they gave us a scare but nothing was seriously damaged."

All of us got quiet and nodded, happy to stop the eerie conversation about our unknown tormentor.

I couldn't stop myself from shivering as I brought my knees up to my chest to keep warm. By the looks of it, even though the house was warm, our bodies still shook from our damp and cold feet. Hanna looked back at the boys to see that they were looking pretty rough around the edges as well.

"I'm gonna go grab some blankets and sleep stuff from upstairs. I would feel more comfortable if Toby were to stay with us tonight." Spencer said, standing up from her spot on the couch.

"Yea, I was going to ask you if Caleb could stay too."

Spencer nodded at Hanna and then looked over to me. Her eyes looked like they wanted to tell me one hundred things and I couldn't quite tell what they were. I figured it had something to do with Jason but she never said anything, and I didn't either.

"I'll help you." Emily said, sensing the tension between us.

Hanna shrugged and soon enough we left the boys in the kitchen and headed up the carpeted stairs to grab blankets and pillows.

I'm not going to lie, it was kind of scary to go upstairs in the dark without the boys. Enough though we knew the house was safe, all I could think about was the shadow we saw of the man earlier.

We walked up to Spencer's room and flipped on the light switch. The bright lights momentarily blinded my eyes so I had to cover them up until they adjusted properly. All of us began to scoop up random blankets and pillows from all the rooms and closets upstairs, none of us really said anything. We could faintly hear the guys in the kitchen downstairs chatting about who knows what.

I went to go grab my phone from the night stand when I heard it beep. The only problem was is that all of our phones beeped and buzzed at the exact same time.

We all hesitantly reached around for our phones and looked at each other with fear. I unlocked my phone to see a text message from a blocked number.

_See how easy it was to get you all under one roof? Imagine what else I could do._

_And this time I even have a new puppet to play with. I wonder how Jason will fair in all these shenanigans… Probably better than Maya did. _

_This is going to be fun. Watch your back bitches, you never know who's lurking around the corner. –A_

And just like that, the branches outside Spencer's window rustled like they were being pushed and bumped. We all raced to the window but saw nothing. Whatever had made the noise had disappeared into the darkness.

"Okay… I need to get out of this room."

Emily's upset voice was heart breaking. The first person she ever truly loved had been taken by our enemy and we have no idea what happened to her. All we know is that 'A' is the culprit behind everything, and Maya most likely did not turn out so well.

Hanna followed our friend out to comfort her, which left me and Spencer alone in her room. She was looking at me, trying to have a stern look but her eyes told otherwise.

I could tell she was just as scared as I was, but not wanting to admit to it.

"Jason can stay." She said stoically.

She crossed her arms over her chest and brushed passed me as she walked down stairs, clearly unhappy that Jason was now a part of this too. She didn't want to admit it, but she knew Jason was most likely another innocent victim in this whole mess.

I sighed and followed an unhappy Spencer downstairs, making sure to grab my share of sleeping items into the living room.

It seemed that Emily and Hanna had already made their beds on the floor next to the sofa. Caleb had joined Hanna in comforting the almost crying woman, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

Toby and Jason watched from the couch as Spencer and I trudged down the stairs with the rest of the blankets and pillows. Jason's eyes never seemed to leave mine as I held the warm comforters in my arms, waiting for Spencer's further instructions.

"Alright fellas, it looks like we are staying here for the night."

Spencer tossed Toby a few blankets and a pillow, which he caught with ease. He stood up from his spot on the couch and helped Spencer and everyone else make a few beds on the floor. Being the gentleman, Toby did all the physical work and Spencer told him where to put everything. I had a feeling that she seemed to enjoy this more than she was letting on.

While everyone was distracted, I walked over to Jason who was looking down at his feet. I sat next to him and laid the blankets down on the opposite side of me and wrapped my arms around my legs in an attempt to get warm. The couch groaned with protest, but Jason never looked up.

"You'll stay… right?" I asked, secretly praying he would.

He glanced up at me and I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was feeling uncomfortable. I wouldn't blame him. He's in a house full of people he barely knows and some of them don't even trust him. The only people he knew well enough to be okay with were Toby and I, seeing as which they would play basketball together every so often.

He was holding his hands in his lap and it looked like he was debating his answer.

"Spencer doesn't like me."

His statement caught me off guard, and I sensed the sour taste in his voice. I placed a hand on his knee and to my surprise, he didn't tense.

"She needs some time to get use to people. I think we've all just had a few rough days."

I sent him a warm smile and I could tell he wanted to send me one back, but he was still hesitant to the idea. I mean, his house was right next door. It wasn't like he was going very far.

"Hey! Do you want to sleep on the left or right?"

Caleb's voice caught both of our attention and we looked at him curiously. He sent me a wink and I knew he was helping me out with Jason.

Gosh did Hanna know how to pick her men.

Jason looked up at Caleb and raised a brow, a very common thing he does when he is confused. But what was funny was that Caleb could do the exact same expression to a tee. Finally, Jason showed a small smirk, but tried to hide it with tilting his face towards the floor.

"I didn't know if you had to sleep on one side or the other. I know if Hanna wakes up on the wrong side of the bed it's like the world is ending." Caleb teased, tossing at pillow to the man next to me while simultaneously getting hit in the arm by his girlfriend.

"I'll take whatever you don't."

I smiled. Thank God for Caleb. He walked over to the left side of the room and sat down next to Emily and Hanna. Jason and I stood up and took the right side of the room near Toby and Spencer. I could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't the happiest camper in the room. Thankfully, Toby was keeping her calm but massaging her shoulders and she seemed to relax little by little.

The way the room was positioned was that there were six large blankets doubled up and spread around the floor. People would have to share a base blanket but everyone had their own blankets to cover up with.

I looked over at Jason who was leaning back against his elbows, watching as Hanna and Toby were trying to find something on TV.

I gave him a small shove on the shoulder and he looked up at me with a smirk.

"You're not afraid to sleep next to me are you?" I teased, trying to calm his nerves about this make shift sleep over.

"Should I be?"

I smirked back and got within a few inches from his face. "I have been told I kick in my sleep."

He chuckled and laid back onto his pillow with his hands behind his head.

"Well I sure know you kick when you're awake."

I sent him a playful glare and he laughed whole heartily. It was nice to see him relaxed even though he had reservations about saying with all of us tonight. His body and his mind soon became free following as he listened to the conversations passing between everyone in the room.

Hanna and Spencer distracted Emily with some cooking show on TV, while Toby and Caleb debated about the upcoming Super Bowl this year and which teams were most likely going to make it. I joined into both occasionally and gave my say into the mix, Jason watching silently next to me.

"Look dude, all I'm saying is that Baltimore is the team to beat!" Caleb said, raising his arms in the air dramatically.

"Please, Ray Lewis needs to retire… and soon."

Caleb and Toby glared at each other. Oh boy. I knew better to get between boys and their sports from being at home with Dad and Mike during the past football seasons, so I just laid down onto my pillow and watched the ceiling fan circle around in a soothing pattern.

I felt the blankets shift around me and I knew Jason had joined me on the floor. He turned his head towards mine and I mimicked his motions and few moments later.

"Who are you going for this year?" I asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Eagles. I've been a fan since I was a kid."

I scrunched my nose. "Ew. Are you sure we can be friends? I'm pretty sure Steelers and Eagles fans don't mesh well." I teased, slapping his arm gently.

He sent be a playful glare.

"Fine, then. Just like Facebook, I am un-friending you."

He then playfully turned his body around and faked being hurt. I couldn't help but laugh at his childish antics and silently thanked the lord he was opening up to me, even with everyone around. Granted, they were still engrossed with their conversations but it was still a start.

Soon enough, everyone began to settle down, seeing as it was around four o'clock in the morning. Emily was the first to drift off, followed by Spencer and Toby then Caleb and Hanna. That just left Jason and I to fend for ourselves and try to get a good night's sleep. He was still rolled over facing away from me, and I figured he was either still joking or had actually fallen asleep like the rest.

I pulled my blanket up closer to my face to keep my top half warm. It was kind of awkward for me seeing as I was in a sports bra next to a man I just began to really interact with, but I felt comfortable enough around him that it didn't bother my mind for too long.

I began to finally feel my eyes get heavier and my mind start to shut down. I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath, feeling all the muscles in my body relax and give in to the oncoming sleep.

"Good night, Jason" I mumbled, just audible enough for him to hear.

As I was drifting off I opened my eyes just enough to see him roll around and face me, our bodies only a few inches apart. I barely heard him speak before I feel into a peaceful sleep.

"Good night, Aria." He said, with a small smile playing across his lips.

**Awww cutesy ending(: But who did all that and what does Mrs. DiLaurentis want?**

**Review and stay tuned!**

**-Cheyenne**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 is up and ready!**

**Special thanks as always to CrazyLittleLiar, joy, 1241070, SassyGal, CriminalMindsLuver4ever, cristinaheartowen, Friend to All, Jaria2.0, mariabrieva, jariafan15, Jenn23, Lady Paine, and CaitlinFlannel!**

**The next two chapters are the beginning of a big event for Jason and Aria, so just bare with the suspense!**

**-Cheyenne**

The next morning seemed to come by all too fast as a frantic Spencer was pacing about the room, frustrated that Hanna was hogging up the bathroom.

"Hanna! Hurry up there's more than one person who is waiting in line!"

I groaned and tried to shut out my eyes and ears from the world so I could go back to sleep. As I pulled the blankets over my head I knew that I had to get ready for school eventually, but having a wakeup call from an angry Spencer was not starting my day off on the right foot.

Out of nowhere, I felt a cold breeze wash over my skin as my warm, fuzzy blankets were ripped from my grasp.

"Hey!" I yelled, curling up into a protective ball to fight off the cold.

I looked up to see a smiling and fully dressed Toby Cavanagh throwing my blankets onto the other side of the room. His pearly white teeth were shining down, almost taunting the fact that I was chilly.

"Time to get up, Montgomery! You guys have school soon."

Once again, I groaned and tried to roll over away from the bubbling face of Spencer's boyfriend.

"How can you be such a morning person?" I mumbled, face deep in my pillow.

Spencer scoffed. "He's always been that way. He opens his eyes and takes off."

Toby chuckled and smirked before walking over to the kitchen where I saw Emily and Caleb making breakfast. It was pretty heartwarming to see a group of friends coming together in the morning to make some pancakes and sausage.

I sat up with a jump and stretched out my soar limbs. They cracked in protest but it felt refreshing to get up and moving again.

I turned to my right to wake up the sleeping man next to me.

"Hey wake-"

Nothing. There was no one beside me like I had assumed there would be. The blankets that once covered Jason's body were askew on the ground next to be and his pillow was ruffled and at an odd angle.

I looked around the room to see that no one was really bothered by my confused expression. If Hanna was in the bathroom and everyone else was down stairs… where was Jason?

Not really wanting to ask an angry Spencer or deal with a too awake Toby, I convinced my legs to drag me over to the stove where Caleb was finishing the rest of the sausages.

"Hey." He said casually, rolling the meat from side to side.

"Hey. Where's Jason?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. He was fast asleep when Toby woke up but then his phone rang. He looked pretty angry at whoever he was talking to. He just stormed out the door and didn't say anything to anyone."

I watched as Caleb continued to flip the sausages and thought about who could have possibly called Jason at six o'clock in the morning. I know Jason and I weren't that close, but it still would have been nice of him to say something before he left.

I looked out the living room window into the neighbor's yard. No lights were on in the DiLaurentis house and Jason's truck wasn't in the driveway. As soon as he got home he must have left in a hurry.

The old house Ali once lived in looked dismal and gray without any sort of life living in it. Sure, there was Jason who took care of the place and slept there, but I'm sure it didn't feel like a home. I've only seen him react in a positive manner a few times, and that doesn't ever begin to compare to how much life Alison brought to the house. It seemed like the grass was greener and the paint was brighter all those years ago.

I guess Alison just had that sort of spark to her that brought a shining light onto everything she touched.

"There, you happy now?"

I snapped back into reality when Hanna stomped down the stairs, her hair done in loose curls and her makeup looking gorgeous as always.

All Spencer did was glare as she marched up the stairs and into the newly free bathroom. The door slammed shut and I couldn't help but shake my head.

Seven people to a household was just too much… even if one did mysteriously leave.

* * *

After breakfast was made and eaten and everyone was dressed and ready, we all headed to school for another boring Thursday. Emily offered to drive me since my car was still stuck at school because of the basketball incident.

The stitches in my head were doing better and Wren told me to visit him in a few days to see how everything was healing up. The bruise on my ribs was completely gone but I still got a few random, quick headaches throughout the day. The medicine really helped the ordeal go by a lot smoother.

Classes went by as normal. English was all about seventeenth century literature which seemed to drag on forever despite it being my favorite class. The curriculum just seemed to go by so slow with the new teacher who had replaced Mr. Fitz.

Ezra. It had been awhile since I thought about my former English teacher and boyfriend. I wondered what he had been up to since the breakup, how he was enjoying Hollis, if he had ever finished the book he was working on.

It just seemed like my past life was slipping through my fingertips and I was never quite able to hold on to it.

The bell rang signaling the end of English and I sighed with relief. I grabbed my things and headed to my locker to grab my Calculus stuff when I noticed a closed and dark door across the hall.

This room use to be a janitor's closet, but it now looked to be remodeled into an office of some sort. The curtain over the door was covering up the furniture that lurked inside but I could still tell the room was empty.

The name tag popped out at me like a white cat in the night.

_Jason DiLaurentis: Counselor_

So it appears that Jason wasn't going to show up for school today either. Whoever sent him that phone call must have made him mad enough to miss his second day of work. But what could have been that important to just pick up and leave?

I couldn't help but worry as to where Jason could be. I know how he got when he was mad and I didn't even want to think about what he could be doing right now.

The ringing of the next period bell startled me and I silently cursed myself for not paying attention to the time. I ran off to class just in time for my teacher to take attendance.

I glanced over at the clock and made a mental note to myself that I had another four hours and twenty-six minutes until I went to see Mrs. DiLaurentis.

Hopefully, this visit wasn't going to go too bad.

* * *

"Maybe she just wants to see how we're doing?"

"Yeah, and maybe Marilyn Monroe will come back to life and move to Rosewood so my dreams will come true."

Emily hung her head low as Hanna's sarcastic remark sunk into her skin. She was just trying to be the optimist but Hanna was always the realist. Despite her cruel way of portraying it, Hanna was always the one to tell things like they are, which is most needed in a town like this.

"Okay guys that's enough." I said, stepping in between the two and walking hand and hand. "Knowing Jessica, it probably has something to do with Alison… we just don't know what yet."

"It's probably just some old things of Ali's that she didn't want to keep anymore, hoping that we will take it off her hands."

I nodded at Spencer's idea, hoping and praying for the best possible outcome. But I've known Mrs. DiLaurentis for a long time now, and she's never been the one to do the expected.

With our feet taping rhythmically on the sidewalk, we strolled up to the front doors of the Rosewood grill. The bell inside the door gave us a brief welcome jingle as we order some refreshments and took a seat at the larger table by the window.

It was common for a DiLaurentis to be fashionably late so when Jessica walked in a quarter after five, we weren't too surprised.

She greeted us with a large and dazzling smile before ordering a cup of coffee and walking over. She placed her purse down on the table to her left and smiled.

"Hello Spencer, Aria, Emily, Hanna." She greeted, going around the table making sure to look at all of us. "How have you all been? It's been awhile since we spoke last."

She took a sip of her coffee and placed it back on the coaster. The tension in the air was thick, mainly because we didn't quite know why she wanted to meet us here.

"We've been alright." Spencer finally said. "But… we are curious as to why you called us all here."

"You always were one to get right to the point."

Mrs. DiLaurentis' mood changed from happy and bubbly to serious and formal. She reached over into her bag and held out pictures for us to take.

I looked down at the dozen or so picture laid out for us on the table. They were all of what seem to be like a stage of some sort as well as seats and a catering table. Everything looked so grand and formal but it was so hard to tell what this was all for.

"Um… what is this exactly?" I asked, looking up into her magical blue eyes.

"It's a runway stage down in Scranton. I would like for you girls to model a few designs for me, the 31st to be exact."

I saw Emily shift in her seat and Hanna tossed down the photo.

"When did you start designing clothes? I haven't heard your name in any of my catalogs." Hanna stated matter-of-factly.

Mrs. DiLaurentis looked nervous and somewhat sad. She locked her hands together and looked down at them, trying to think of the right words to say. She played with her wedding right and twirled it on her finger before speaking.

"I'm not, your right Hanna… but Alison was."

We all stared at her with our jaws hanging loosely towards the floor. We knew Alison was very big into fashion, making sure to show off her new clothes every time she went shopping, but we never knew to what extent.

As if reading our minds, Mrs. DiLaurentis pulled out several pictures from a hidden compartment in her purse. She handed each of us a few photos and we look at them in awe.

Each picture was a different photo of Alison on a runway stage, posing and smiling for the audience which had to be about several hundred people. While we were looking amazed, Jessica was smiling.

"Alison always loved the runway and did several shows over the past few years. She was going to participate in one before she…" Mrs. DiLaurentis trailed off, not quite able to get the last few words out.

"You want us to model Alison's clothes on a runway." Spencer said bluntly, getting straight to the point.

She sighed. "Yes, to put it in lemans terms."

It felt like I couldn't breathe. There was no way in hell I was going to model my dead best friends clothes in front of a whole crowd of people. All this time I wanted Alison to be put to rest, but bringing her show back is just bringing her back to life, and not in a good way.

"I-I don't know if I can do this…"

Emily's voice sounded queasy and like she might cry. I was right there with her but the look Mrs. DiLaurentis gave us caused us to stop and listen.

She grabbed Emily's hand with both of her own and gripped it tight. She glanced around at all of us while she spoke.

"This is what Ali would have wanted. Her designs that she was supposed to model would be presented in front of hundreds of people. This would mean so much to her, as well as myself, if you girls would give her one last moment in the spotlight…. Please?"

It was odd for a DiLaurentis to beg for anything. Never had I heard one of the parents of Jason and Alison plead before, and quite frankly, I don't want to hear it again. It sounded so unnatural coming out of her mouth that it was like nails on a chalkboard in my ears.

I looked around the table to the other girls to see that their expressions were practically the same as mine. As much as we didn't want to do it, Mrs. DiLaurentis was asking for one final thing to put Ali to rest. Who were we to abolish her of that?

I let out a huge huff of air and I could feel my head starting to throb. Times like these were where I wished I would have brought my pain pills Wren prescribed me.

Spencer's eyes were looking down at her hands but I saw her head pick itself back up, a serious look radiating in her eyes.

"We'll do it."

All of us knew, once Spencer was set on an idea, it was done.

Jessica's mood brightened up once again and she quickly gathered up her photos and stuffed them back in her purse. She stood up like she was about to leave but hunched over to keep eye level with us.

"Great! I'll keep in touch with you girls and I'll get everything set up. See you next week!"

Without even a further goodbye, she practically skipped out the door and left all four of us girls left to think about the torture that was coming our way next week.

Hanna leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms dramatically while Emily laid her head face down in our arms. Spencer and I were looking at each other with surprised eyes, silently communicating 'what have we done?'

_Beep Beep_

The noise of Hanna's phone caught everyone off guard. None of us were in the mood to deal with boyfriends and things so we all just ignored her as she pulled the phone out of her purse.

"Guys…" She whispered. "It's from 'A.'

We were all instantly drawn in, trying to look over her shoulder, and in my case, looking at her phone upside down.

_I wonder if it feels cold wearing a dead girl's clothes. I'll be watching. –A_

"Well that's just great… if we're lucky all 'A' will do is push us off the stage."

Spencer glared at Hanna and all she did was give a challenging look back at her. The only thing keeping me alert right now was this cup of coffee in my hand. I took a sip and felt the energy surge through me.

As much as Mrs. DiLaurentis wanted a nice, last remembrance, I don't think 'A' had the same idea…

**I know, pretty boring and tedious, but like I said it's building up to something major!**

**I want to hear your ideas on what might happen so review to get a quick update!(:**

**-Cheyenne**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yes! We went up on the reviews and feedback ladies and gentlemen! My sincere thanks and love is given out to everyone even though you all deserve much much more!**

**Super special thanks to 1241070, joy, mariabrieva, cristinaheartowen, CrazyLittleLiar, jariafan15, TonnaMama81, ShadowKissedLyokoWarrior, Rock N Roll Can Save ur Soul, jaria, blowmeaway, mrm003, LegoHouse, Jenn23, LaceyElisabeth, BearyFunny66, and Siretha!**

**Enjoy Chapter 9(:**

**-Cheyenne**

The last week flew by like a piece of paper in the wind, which was a huge step in the Rosewood community.

Almost every night on TV there was some kind of big, exciting news story on about Alison's murder or Maya's disappearance. But surprisingly, nothing really extravagant happened these last few days.

School went by without any hitches; a few homework assignments here or there but hey, that was high school. 'A' had seemed to take a hiatus but we all knew that was not going to last for long. I'm almost positive they are saving up for some big reveal, but I just wasn't sure when.

Mom and Dad seemed to be getting along better. They were still on rocky terms but living together was becoming more and more bearable. The only thing they would really fight about was Mike.

Unfortunately, the only problem that still loomed over my head every day like a dark cloud was my little brother. His attitude had been getting worse and he was closing himself more and more each day. His metal music was loud and he was always sneaking out at night. It was so bad that my parents felt the need to put locks on his windows so he was unable to escape.

Thinking about Mike, I let out a deep sigh. It was so frustrating not knowing how to handle the once sweet, innocent, little boy down the hall. Every growing teen goes through changes and struggles, but this was just way too out of the ordinary.

Speaking of out of the ordinary, there was another person who had seemed to vanish into thin air.

Jason DiLaurentis.

The last time I had seen Jason was at Spencer's impromptu sleepover after the attack from 'A' to her loft. He had fallen asleep next to me but then left before I woke up.

I never saw him at school and his office was always closed at school. I would see some kids during the day slide notes under his door, probably to schedule a meeting, but the papers stayed on the floor leaving a large pile for him when and if he were to return. Spencer had told me his truck was in his driveway but the lights were never on. She never saw him come out of his house but she couldn't even confirm he was in there to begin with.

"Aria!"

My mom's frantic voice snapped me out of my worrisome head and back into reality.

"Yea!?" I yelled back down the stairs, not feeling in the mood to really move right now.

I could hear her footsteps echo up the stairway, bouncing against the walls and into my eardrums. The door to my room clicked open and my mom peeked her head in before completely stepping inside.

Mom looked so sophisticated in her woman's suit and lacy undershirt. The dark gray jacket and her matching pencil shirt really popped when she had put on her navy blue high heels.

She gave me a twirl as if asking my opinion.

"Are you sure you don't want to take my place on the runway?"

My question was meant to be sarcastic but a part of me was dead serious. I really didn't want to do this fashion show and the only reason I was is because of Mrs. DiLaurentis and how she had pleaded for our help.

My mom smiled at me genuinely before sitting next to me on the edge of my bed.

"You're going to be fine, honey. You walk in heels all the time. It's just a straight shot from one end of the stage to the other."

I know she was trying to be comforting but all I could think about was all the people that were going to be staring at me. Not only that, but all they were going to think about was how Ali was going to wear these outfits and how we compare to her. All we were going to be to these people were Ali's poor little friends. I hated being marked with a title as degrading as that one.

I felt my mother put a soft hand on my back before standing up and walking towards the door.

"Come on, we're going to be late."

I sighed and sluggishly dragged my feet over to the door. I really didn't want to go but I figure if I did have to, I might as well go early.

When I walked down the stairs I was so surprised not only to see my father, but Mike was standing there as well. Both of them were wearing suits and ties.

My dad was sporting a gray suit with the same color scheme as my mom but only more masculine and without the navy blue shoes.

The most surprising was Mike. Not only had he come out of his room, but he had also showered and shaved, making sure to look extra decent. He was wearing a black suit with a white button up underneath. He wore a simple black tie and matching dress shoes. I couldn't help but smile at my little brother and how handsome he looked.

I knew he wouldn't want me to say anything aloud and wasn't exactly happy about going, so as we got in the car I sent him a quick and silent text from the seat next to him.

_Thank you. It means a lot to see you. -Aria_

I locked my phone and pretended not to do anything. I just stared out the window watching the nosy town of Rosewood pass by as we headed in the direction of Scranton.

A few moments later, my phone buzzed and I quickly opened it.

_I know -Mike_

It wasn't much to read, but for me it meant everything. To even get a response out of him was good these days.

I turned my head to see that he was looking at me. I gave him a small smile and I could tell by the way he rolled his eyes and turned his head away from me that he was trying to hide his as well.

I knew the brother I knew was still in there somewhere. Maybe today wasn't going to be so bad after all. Having Mike there already made me feel more confident and it was only a two hour drive until I met up with the girls who were most likely equally as terrified as I was.

* * *

It seemed like forever on the highway until we reached the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania. The town was urban and populated which was a huge difference from Rosewood.

As my dad pulled into the parking lot of the pageant hall and I felt the butterflies in my stomach begin to rise. There was no turning back on this fashion show now, and I was so nervous that everything was going to go wrong.

"You ready, sweetie?"

My dad was looking at me with shining eyes in an attempt to calm me down. I knew he was excited to see Mike out of the house and worrying myself wasn't going to help Mike's behavior today.

I gave him a small nod was we walked into the back doors of the building. The cool air hit my skin and it made me shiver. I knew it was going to be colder because once we got moving it was going to seem like a hundred degrees on that stage.

I spotted Emily, Spencer and Hanna off in the distance and turned to my family, signaling it was my time to go.

"Mike and I are going to help move chairs with Mr. Hastings. Have fun." My dad gave me a kiss on the forehead before I walked over to the girls.

All of us were standing near all of the makeup, hair and wardrobe crew, feeling totally out of place. There were other models there, professional ones, who didn't help us feel any better. They were all super tall and thin, almost the complete opposite of us besides the tall and lanky Spencer.

"You ready?" She said, not even the least bit enthused.

"No. But I guess this is as close as I'm going to get."

I heard Emily sigh as she listened to our conversation and sat down at the first makeup and hair booth. Each of us girls took a seat next to her and waited to be transformed into glamorous runway divas.

* * *

As more people, models and crew gathered in the building, the atmosphere became more and more relaxed. Personally, I was expecting the total opposite, but the entire crew was so sweet and the models were giving us tips on what to do and what not to do. The stereotypes of these girls were completely off and it was a comforting feeling.

After a long forty-five minutes in the makeup chair, a familiar voice interrupted the casual conversation all of us girls were having about changing into and out of or outfits.

"Oh my goodness, you ladies look spectacular!"

We all turned around to see the smiling face of Mrs. DiLaurentis. She was wearing a simple black dress with a diamond necklace and matching earrings. Her high heels made her legs look phenomenal and her silky blonde hair was in a perfect fancy bun.

Leave it to a DiLaurentis to show everyone up.

Walking slowly up behind her was a face I wasn't expecting to see.

Jason was a few steps behind his mother and was looking incredibly handsome in his black suit. He wore a bright blue tie with a white undershirt that made his eyes pop like the cool blue waters of the ocean. He stood tall with his shoulders broad, masculinity just dripping off of his body. He cut his hair shorter which made him look very clean cut and mature. A few stands of hair still loomed over his eye lids.

I was completely in awe that he was even here. I hadn't heard from him in what felt like forever, but I knew it was only about a week. His presence was overpowering and it felt like he sucked all the courage out of my system.

I have no idea why he was making me feel this way.

"I can't wait to see you all out there! Thank you so much for doing this, girls. I'm sure Alison is watching from above, grateful to have such dear friends like you."

I could see her eyes watering at the thought of her daughter, but she gave a quick sniffle and scurried out of the room, Jason trailing close behind.

He kept his eyes on me and only me as he was walking away. It was like we were the only two people in that room and he was trying to tell me something in secret with his eyes. From what I gathered, he was not too thrilled to be here.

"Okay ladies!" A skinny blonde woman seemed to come out of nowhere with a headset and skinny black jeans on. "Show starts in fifteen minutes! Get dressed and ready!"

I sighed and looked over to Emily who was seated to my right. She shrugged and sighed as well. I was not looking forward to going out there, and more importantly, I was not about to let Jason get me flustered.

I got myself dressed into my first outfit and the crew gathered my other outfits and placed them in a line so I could change into them faster while the others were walking.

From what I gathered, there were six categories of clothing, fall seasonal, swimwear, evening gowns, and three different outfits by world renowned designers. I was hesitant to come out in just a skimpy bikini in front of a crowd of people, but I was more comfortable when the other girls had a similar wardrobe.

"Okay! It's show time!"

I gathered my wits about me and I felt Hanna place a hand on mine. She was wearing one of the designers outfits as was I, but they looked completely different.

"You ready?" She asked comfortingly.

"As I'll ever be."

She smiled. The booming pop music kicked in and so did my nerves. I did a few jumps to shake out my muscles like I use to do when I played basketball. It was a good way for me to relieve myself of all the stress and worries.

The director cued for Hanna and I, and it was on.

Hanna and I locked arms and we strutted or way down the runway, feeling the surge of the crowd as they clapped and cheered, shouting cat calls and screaming our names. I felt a wave of glory and it seemed like I was on top of the world… or at least the runway.

Reaching the front of the stage, Hanna and I posed however we felt like and the snapping of pictures and lights seemed to be blinding.

I could see my mom and dad sitting next to Hanna's parents and Mike was clapping along with everyone. Sure, he wasn't exactly thrilled to be here, but he was trying and that was all that mattered to me.

I sent him a playful wink and he gave me an eye roll. It was a cute little brother and sister moment that I wasn't going to take for granted, especially in these recent weeks.

As Hanna and I walked back to the end of the runway, Emily and Spencer began theirs, looking fabulous in their designer attire.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying the show, clapping and laughing with the crowd. Even Jason who was very quiet and reserved about the whole thing never stopped clapping. His hair was beginning to lose its form on the top of his head, but the disheveled hair look was one that suited him.

After our fall wardrobe change, it was finally time for swimwear. Normally, this would be a very peculiar thing to do in the beginning of a colder season, but normally this show would take place in a tropic type climate area such as South Carolina or even Florida.

When I slipped on my little red bikini I felt very self-conscious. I was never one to flaunt my body out in front of others so it was a very scary moment for a reserved kind of girl like myself. Thankfully, the other girls didn't look as confident either, besides Emily who was use to walking around in swimsuits.

The music changed and I knew it was my turn. This time I was able to walk out with Emily and we made our way in front of the eyes of the crowd. The calls and whistles seemed to have gotten louder and in a weird sort of way, it made me feel better.

I'm sure these people have seen more attractive women in a bikini but it was flattering to hear them cheer for me. Emily was really working her stuff and I heard an extra loud whistle come from the top of the room.

Noel Kahn was waving like an idiot over towards me with his head phones hanging off his neck. I had totally forgotten that he had been the DJ today or even that he was in the building. He shouted 'Go Aria!' really loud and gave me a thumbs up.

Despite my harsh background with Noel, I blew him a friendly kiss, which he then pretended to catch and put it in his pocket. I was so in the moment of the show that I didn't care who my friends and enemies were, I was just happy to be here and be happy. Also because of my cockiness on the stage, I didn't even look over to Jason who had a frown now playing on his lips after my smile to Noel.

The ending of the show was going to be a tribute to Alison, with a slideshow playing behind all four of us girls. We all got dressed into our evening gowns and when the soft music began to play, my feet swayed back and forth, enjoying the peaceful serenity.

Mrs. DiLaurentis was smiling and clutching her heart, showing that the slideshow Spencer prepared was spot on. Jason even let a small smile crack through his mysterious demeanor, and it felt like things were looking up.

But as always, nothing good in my life can last for long.

Suddenly, the music change from a soft Michael Buble song and into this sick, evil and twisted laughing with heavy metal music blasting behind it.

_THE BITCH. IS. DEAD! _

The tormenting words of the unknown speaker blasted into the walls of the pageant hall, filling everyone's heart with confusion and dismay.

Spencer, Hanna, Emily and I were looking at each other frantically, trying to figure out what was going on. I watched as Spencer ran off into the crowd and over to Noel's music stand. I could see he was trying to stop everything but it wasn't until Spencer had pulled all the plugs that the torment had ceased.

I was paying so much attention to Spencer and Noel that I never realized Hanna and Emily had vanished into the backstage area, leaving the shining spot light on me. The crowd's eyes were piercing my skin and it felt like everyone was judging me.

I looked quickly over to Mrs. DiLaurentis who had tears streaming down her face which were hitting her shirt like bullets. She hastily covered her face and ran out of the room, her sobs bouncing around in my ear drums which I was unable to get out.

Jason gave me a disgusted look, not necessarily directed towards me, but just to this whole mess in general. He assertively stood up, almost knocking his chair over and jogged through the chairs of people to catch up to his mother.

I looked around at the crowd and couldn't take the feeling of their eyes on me any longer, so I ran into the back, my own tears threatening to fall.

Why did this always have to happen to me…?

* * *

My mom and dad profusely apologized when everyone in the crowd had left. Apparently after everything with Alison's slideshow had gone wrong, Mike had a meltdown and quickly escaped from the building.

My parents insisted that they could stay with me but I knew it was best for them to go with Mike. They each gave me a comforting hug and left out the cold, metal doors of the pageant hall.

All the other girls left with their parents, but after the whole incident I knew it was going to be a struggle to gather up all the outfits from the back that Mrs. DiLaurentis had brought. I was almost positive she wouldn't want them back, but they were Alison's and I'm sure in time she would end up missing them.

I stayed behind to gather everything that was left and help clean up a bit. Granted, most of the stuff wasn't mine but I found a few stay things my friends left in the mist of their sorrows.

_CRASH_

I snapped my head to my right and picked my eyes off the makeup counter and into the far, dark distance of the corridor. A man had seemed to kick over several metal trash cans and tables in a rage, his hands running through his hair intensely.

I walked a little closer, making sure to go slow in case the man could be dangerous. Once I saw those familiar blonde locks, I relaxed.

"Jason?" I questioned softly, taking another cautious step forward.

I saw him whip around in my direction with a horrid, angry look on his face. His suit was unbuttoned and his newly short hair was sticking up in random places. The nice blue tie he had on was undone around his neck and hanging precariously to one side. Those once dazzling blue eyes seemed to glow red and there was a vein noticeably popping out in his head.

He saw that I was hesitant to approach and surprisingly, he let out a deep breath like he had been holding it in. I saw his shoulders drop and his stance relaxed; he still looked angry but at least he wasn't about to kick over anymore trash cans.

He placed his hands on his hips and looked up to the ceiling, catching his breath after a fit of rage.

"Are you okay…?" I asked, still unsure of what to say.

"Do I look okay!?" He snapped, throwing his arms up.

I knew he was angry but his sudden outburst caught me off guard and I took a frightful step back.

He saw my reservations and his face instantly changed from angry to ashamed.

He sighed. "Hey… I'm sorry." He said, taking a step closer. "I'm not mad at you."

I saw him bend down towards the ground to pick up the trash cans he had kicked over. His muscular arms were able to hoist them up back into place with ease, but several napkins and pieces of food were skewed all over the floor after being lunged out of their homes in the cans.

I walked over to where he was kneeling in silence, and began picking up the trash that he had thrown. I noticed that he looked at me with a confused and surprised expression, like he wasn't expecting my help, but after a few minutes he brushed it off and continued to clean.

Standing up, I tossed all the trash from my hands in the garbage and Jason did the same.

"Thank you." He said sincerely.

I smiled. "Don't mention it."

I caught him staring at me, which at first I figured was just his normal gaze he did. But after a few longer, more awkward moments, I saw that he wasn't staring at my face, but rather, at my chest.

He saw that I was giving him a creeped out sort of look and he looked back up into my eyes.

"You have something on your collar bone."

His voice was very even and not flirty in any means of the word. I watched as his hand glided through the air, right under my clavicle and above my left breast. His finger traced over my skin and it sent a shiver down my spine, giving me goosebumps.

Either he didn't notice that his touch made me tingle, or he was pretending not to, but he nonetheless grabbed the piece of debris and pinched it into the trash can.

"Thank you…"

I was barely able to breathe it out.

"Don't mention it."

The déjà vu type moment hit us both and I finally saw him genuinely smile. I thought I heard the littlest of laughs but my mind may have just added that in for an extra bonus.

"Jason…" I started, not quite sure how to start. "I'm so sorry about what happened tonight, with the slideshow that is."

He took in a deep breath and I could almost feel him tense even though I wasn't touching him. Once he let it out, he ran his fingers through his hair and looked down at the floor and then back up to me.

"It wasn't your fault, Aria."

His tone was rigid but sincere. I knew he was just frustrated with the whole situation so I didn't continue. There wasn't really anything I could say to make the situation any better, but then again, it wasn't like it could get worse.

We stood there in silence for a few moments, just looking at each other and trying to study what the other person was thinking. We seemed to be having these moment a lot over the last few days and it provided me with some sort of relief.

Out of the comforting instinct I inherited from my mother, I place my arm on his bicep. He never tensed.

"Everything will be alright. Alison would have brushed something off like this… and we should too."

He thought about what I was trying to say for a moment and then gave me a subtle nod. I knew I wasn't doing a terrific job at healing his wounds from this evening, but at least he knew that there was someone else fighting this fight along side him.

"Do you have a ride home?"

As he asked this question he looked around to see if my parents were here, or anyone else for that matter. Once he found no one, he looked back at me.

"Umm…no. Mike was acting really weird so I told them to take him home. I wanted to gather up Ali's outfits… just in case your mom would want them."

He sensed the hesitation in my voice.

"I doubt she'll want those back." He said, taking the hangers holding the dressed and slinging them over his shoulder. "I'll keep them at my place until Mom is coherent enough to respond to my calls."

I felt a wave of sympathy wash over me, thinking about the grieving DiLaurentis. She was so excited for this night and put so much effort into making it a success, all for it to go down the drain by one sick individual.

"Jason, listen I-"

"Aria?"

I turned my head and jumped in surprise as another voice spoke my name and cut me off. A tall, tan and dark haired man walked out from behind a group of crates in the darkness and into the dim light of the hallway.

Noel Kahn was walking up to me; his black jacket was unbuttoned and his zip up hoodie underneath it gave him a hard edge kind of look. His style had always been one that was more modern, and it was very rare to see him dressed up for anything. He dark wash jeans were hanging loosely off his hips and his brow was raised, giving him a confused expression.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets and he walked up to me.

"Oh, I was-"

"She was just about to leave... with me." Jason interrupted me, making his presence known.

Noel shot his glance over to Jason and sent him a small, but hesitant smile.

"Sup, DiLaurentis." He said in a bro sort of voice.

Jason nodded back at him but then both pairs of eyes were on me. I stood still bewildered at why Jason had answered for me, but I just assumed he wasn't in the mood to be forgotten about, and that Noel had disrupted our conversation. He had seemed to emphasis the 'with me' part and I wasn't really sure why. Did he have a problem with Noel? Did they have some sort of feud I didn't know about?

I saw Noel reached into his back pocket and pull out a clear CD case.

"I didn't know what to do with this…" He said shyly, handing over the case.

I was about to take it from his hand when Jason forcefully stepped in front of me and grabbed hold of the CD. Noel was taken by surprise but he didn't let go either.

"Is this the bullshit that played during Alison's tribute?" Jason snarled, anger once again raising to the surface.

Noel was taken aback by the older man's suddenly harsh tone. He released his hand and backed away slowly, raising his hands like he was showing his innocence.

"Woah, hey, slow down man. That's the CD but I had nothing to do with it."

"Who else had access to this?"

Noel gave a confused and somewhat frightened look. "I-I don't know…? Just me I guess?"

Jason took a strong step forward and glared at him right in his eyes. Their faces weren't even inches apart and Jason's figure seemed to tower over Noel's.

"Wrong answer."

Jason snapped the CD over his knee, his eyes never leaving Noel. The broken pieces of plastic crumbled to the ground and all I could do was watch in awe. I knew Jason had a temperamental personality, but this was getting to the point where it was unnecessary.

Sure, I knew he was mad and he had every right to be, but to accuse someone he wasn't even sure did it was too much discomfort for my liking.

"Jason… just leave him alone."

My voice was meant to be authoritative but it came out very quiet and timid. Jason's angry face turned to me and his eyes drilled into mine like he was telling me this wasn't my place.

For the first time, Jason made me feel inferior to him, like all I am is a stupid little girl getting caught into older men's business.

I could tell Jason sensed my discomfort when he took a step back from me and looked down at the floor. I sensed that he was gathering his thoughts. I watched as he turned his body around, the dresses swaying in the breeze over his shoulder, and walked out the door without another word.

Noel and I just looked out into the distance where Jason once stood, still unable to process what had exactly happened just moments ago.

"You okay?" Noel asked, knocking me back into my senses.

I shook my head rapidly like I was trying to unjumble the thoughts swirling around in my brain. I finally looked back into his stunning green eyes and gave him a fake smile.

"Yea… Yea I'm okay."

"Do you need a ride home?" He offered, taking a step in my direction and towards the door.

I was hesitant to take his offer considering out shaky past, but it wasn't like I had any other choice now that Jason was gone.

I sighed. "Sure... That would be great."

He smiled at me. I had completely forgotten about how incredibly dashing his smile was. His teeth were perfectly aligned and white, making it impossible not to smile when he did.

Noel patted my shoulder signaling it was time to start walking. He held the door open for me like a gentleman and walked side by side with me to his car. He opened the passenger side door for me and I gave him a smile as a way of saying thank you.

He then walked over to the driver's side and started the car. The heat from the car vents washed over me like a welcoming song. I took in the heat like I had been deprived of it my entire life; I didn't even realize how cold I was until the heat kicked on.

Noel played the radio most of the way home. We didn't talk much, most likely because neither of us knew quite was to say. Yet, it wasn't an awkward silence, but more of a unspoken peace treaty between the two of us.

Finally, Noel was the first to break the silence just as we passed the 'Welcome to Rosewood' sign.

"Can we talk? …or rather, I talk and you listen?"

His tone of voice caught me off guard. "Ummm… okay?"

He sighed and placed both hands on the wheel. He seemed to be focusing really hard on what he wanted to say.

"I know that we've had our differences in the past, but I don't want it to continue in the future."

I nodded, silently saying that I understood and agreed. As I was about to respond, he held up his hand and spoke again.

"Just wait, let me finish." I paused and waited for him to continue. "I don't know why I was such a dick to you last year. I think it was the fact that you had to pretend to like me to make Mr. Fitz jealous."

"Noel it was-"

Again he held up a hand and I went silent. I knew this conversation was getting to a sensitive point that I really didn't want to touch on right now, but I knew Noel was determined to say what he had been holding in for so long.

"It wasn't the fact that he was our teacher. I'm all for finding true love and all that crap no matter where or who it is." He paused and thought about his next words carefully. "I think what got to me was I had never been played before. I'm so use to girls wanting to be with me, so when I found out our relationship was a lie; it hit me harder than it should have."

He didn't speak for a long while after that so I assumed he was done. I took this moment to process what he was really saying. Noel Kahn was never one for apologies, but an explanation to why he did what he did was his way of telling me he was sorry.

I looked over to Noel who had a stoic look on his face, focusing on the road like his life depended on it.

For once in my life, I think I understood Noel Kahn and why he was angry at me for so long.

I place a hand on his leg and gave it a comforting grip.

"I understand, Noel." I said softly, feeling him relax. "I shouldn't have played you like that. You were nothing but nice to me and I used that positive trait against you. For that, I am truly sorry."

He let out a breath of air like he had been waiting for my answer and went back to his driving with one hand. I took that as a key to telling if he was comfortable or not, and right now, he seemed to be mellowing down.

"It was never something you did." I continued again. "You would have been the perfect boyfriend if I wasn't having complicated ordeals with Ezra…"

I trailed off, not really knowing what to say about our former English teacher or how to explain our relationship.

I took my hand back to my lap but Noel yanked it back. He didn't hold my hand, but he did place it back on his leg. I think that was his way of not wanted to disconnect from our first, real personal moment.

"Are you and Mr. Fitz…"

"Still together?" I finished for him, letting out a small chuckle. "No. We broke up mutually over the summer. I couldn't stand hiding our relationship and he didn't want to lose his teaching job."

Noel nodded as he pulled onto my street. I noticed that Spencer's car was in my drive way. I wondered what she was doing here.

"House party?" Noel teased, sending me one of his signature smiles.

I rolled my eyes, once again taking my hand back. "No. I actually have no idea why Spencer's here."

He nodded and looked at my house along with me, trying to see any shadows through the curtains. Unfortunately, we saw nothing. I looked over to Noel one last time and I felt a smile curl to the edges of my lips.

"Thank you for the ride, Noel."

My sincere tone caused him to smile back at me before I unfastened my seatbelt and opened the door of Noel's convertible. Of course, the top had been up, but I still felt like a total champ riding in an expensive car, even if that did sound childish.

As I was walking up my driveway I heard Noel call my name.

"Aria!"

I turned around and looked at him, one hand still in my purse digging for my house key.

"Text me?" He asked, looking hopeful.

I smiled a genuine smile and turned my head swiftly, not wanting him to see my reaction. I heard his car speed away as I stepped up to my front porch. The door was already unlocked so I didn't even need my key.

As I walked in I noticed Spencer sitting impatiently on my couch with her hands folded together and her head down. She was dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a simple white t-shirt. When she heard me close the door, she stood up quickly and practically dragged me back outside with her hand giving my upper arm a death grip.

"We need to talk." She said sternly, giving me her signature poker face.

"About what?"

All she did was drag me into her car, practically stepping on the gas and speeding off into the night.

"'A' left me a message." Was all she said, and that was all I needed to hear.

**Get excited people! Just chapter's going to be a big one(;**

**-Cheyenne**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay everyone I have finally reached chapter 10!**

**As always, special thanks to cristinaheartowen, Friend to All, CrazyLittleLiar, BearyFunny66, KaySub, Stelenton2, jariafan15, joy, Jenn23, mariabrieva, Siretha, VampireLoverForever27, DreamiGirl, ms. Jaicee lee, and caringiscreepyx!**

**I got my first constructive criticism which is always much needed to improve a story, and I'm going to use that tip to make the story better than ever! Hope everyone enjoys Chapter 10!**

**-Cheyenne**

Spencer drove in silence for what seemed like forever. She went down at least five different back roads I had never even known about in all my years of living in Rosewood, but eventually, I found that Spencer was just doing a bunch of circles. I let her drive around for awhile, but I got tired quickly.

"Spence, what are you-"

"I don't want us to be followed." She stated assertively before I could even complete my question.

The intense look on her face showed me the fear and anger that was driving her. Both hands were gripped tightly against the wheel, her knuckles growing whiter and whiter with each passing minute.

Eventually, she stopped in a neighborhood a few streets down from ours, parking the car alongside the curb. She turned off her head lights and leaned back in her seat, letting a giant sigh escape her lips. She tried to hide the fact that she was looking around intently to see if anyone was around, but Spencer was about as subtle as a loaded gun.

She didn't even look at me when she spoke.

"'A' was the one who sabotaged Ali's show tonight."

I gave her a strange look and shook my head. "Umm… yea, I could have guessed that one… is that what you wanted to tell me?"

She slowly rolled her head against the back of her seat to look into my eyes. It was one of those faces where she was debating on telling me or not, fighting against her internal moral scale.

"Spence?" I said, breaking her silence.

She sighed and reached into her purse that was on her back seat to grab her phone. She held it up to me, the bright lights blinding me for a split second until my eyes could adjust.

_Unfortunately, I didn't get to see the big finale because I was too busy destroying it, but I'm sure your brother did. –A_

"What?"

My confused tone was matched by her equally confused expression. I must have read 'A's message several times just to make sure I was reading it correctly.

"But you don't have a brother…"

"I know." She said quickly, putting her phone back in her bag. "I think 'A' finally messed up. I'm pretty sure she meant to send that text you, seeing as which you're the only one of us who has a brother."

I thought about her words for a second. "Okay… so say 'A' did happen to send that to me… what does that have to do with Mike?"

Spencer gave me her 'think about it' face and I paused, trying to gather my thoughts as to why 'A' might have something to do with my little brother. Sure his behavior has been weird lately but…

Oh no.

"No…" I breathed, trying to regain my wits. "You don't think…"

I couldn't even finish or look at Spencer's gaze, but I could tell she was nodding, confirming my worst suspicions.

"'A's blackmailing Mike…"

I felt like I wanted to throw up. Not only had 'A' decided to come after my friends and I, but now he/she was threatening my family, and I was not about to stand for that. But Spencer's conclusion explained everything. Mike was most likely jumpy and mean to everyone because 'A' was trying to get him to do some of their dirty work and if he told anyone, well who knows what would happen! Mike sneaking out late was most likely to do some of 'A's bidding so the actual ringleader would never be caught.

"Mike…"

I couldn't even say anything besides his name. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but I knew Spencer was thinking the same thing I was.

"Mike was the one who sabotaged the show…"

I sank back into my seat and stared down at Spencer's carpeted floor mats. This couldn't be happening... not to me... not to Mike...

"I'm so sorry, Aria…"

Both of us were silent after that. Spencer knew this was a hard hit for me and even after all the rough patches we hit over the last week or so, she was there to comfort me. She placed a soft hand on my shoulder for reassurance and squeezed it tight. I felt the tears begin to swell up in the back of my eyes, tempting me to break down and cry, but I wasn't going to do that. I would never give 'A' the satisfaction of knowing they got to me. I've stooped to some low things in my life, but they were not going to see me defeated.

I gave a quick sniff and tilted my head back, pushing the tears in my eyes back down in their ducts. Spencer was quiet the whole time, just allowing me to gather my thoughts and process how I wanted to handle this situation.

"What do you want to do?" She asked, making me feel like she was reading my mind.

I sighed. "I'm going to ask him about it eventually… it's just a matter of how to get him to tell me the truth…"

Spencer nodded and gave my shoulder another squeeze. We were silent for the longest time, pondering how to handle Mike and the fact that he could be one of the people tormenting us day in and day out.

It was just so hard for me to believe that my little baby brother could be hurting me in such a way that some days I couldn't even bear to get out of bed. I thought back to all the great times we had growing up. Going on family vacations, playing practical jokes, learning about life and growing up happy seemed to be a distant memory now.

Why was this happening to me?

Out in the distance a few moments later, Spencer and I heard the screeching of car tires perforate the silence we had created. I snapped out of my thoughts as both of us looked into her rearview mirror.

It was extremely hard to see in the dark, but what seemed like a dark red Chevy was swerving in and out of the correct lanes and was heading right towards where we were parked.

Spencer's eyes went wide as she saw the Chevy come straight towards her brand new car. Her mouth was slightly parted, like she was holding in her breath, and her eyes were wide as she watched the for sure accident unfold. At what seemed like the very last second, the red car swerved out of the way of Spencer's new car and veered far off to the left.

However, the only thing that I happened to notice was the flash of blonde hair that passed by Spencer's window before the car over corrected itself and ran into the telephone pole in front of us.

"Jason?"

My worried voice caught Spencer off guard, like that was the last thing she had expected me to say.

Without even thinking, I jumped out of her car and sprinted over to the man in the now totaled Chevy, praying to the God's that it wasn't Jason's face I saw in that car.

I ran up to the driver's side window and my eyes went wide.

Jason DiLaurentis was sitting cockeyed to the left, his head resting against the door, and it seemed like that was the only thing keeping him up straight. His window was down and there was loud metal music blasting through the speakers so deafening that it made my ear drums quiver. There was large sticker on the side of his door that said 'DiLaurentis Rentals' which was most likely from his dad's business.

The car reeked of alcohol.

I hastily yanked open his door, causing Jason's head to fall hard to his side but surprisingly, he was able to pick it up and lean against the back of his seat. I looked into his once blue eyes to see that they were glazed over and cloudy. His hair was sticking up in awkward places and the red shirt he was wearing was wrinkled. I looked for signs of blood or injuries, and thankfully the only thing I found was a small cut on his forehead. It didn't look too serious.

"Jason!" I said somewhat loudly, my voice almost cracking with worry and my eyes scanning over the whole scene.

I watched as his eyes lazily roll towards me. I could tell he was trying to look me in the eyes, but it seemed like he couldn't quite focus on them.

"...Aria…?"

His soft, slurred voice forced me to let out a breath of air. I know in most cases like this when someone talks to you in that type of voice, a person would usually become more worried. But in this case, I was just glad he was able to talk.

"Are you drunk?" I asked, smelling the alcohol that penetrated my nostrils when he spoke my name. I made a disgusted face when the unpleasing smell hit me.

He looked down and the ground away from my gaze, like he was ashamed to speak. Obviously he was coherent enough to know and comprehend what I was asking him, so my fear lessened the slighted bit. I'm sure he thought by my facial expression that I was disgusted with him, but that definitely wasn't the case.

I looked back over at Spencer who had gotten out of her car and was standing by the door, her hands covering her mouth in shock.

I kept looking back and forth between Jason and Spencer, trying to figure out what to do. I'm sure the cops would be here any minute, assuming a neighbor heard the crash and/or saw the damage.

"Spencer!" I yelled back at her, causing a slight jump in response. "Cover me!"

"Aria, what-!?"

I didn't listen to the rest of Spencer's questions or babbling. I blocked out all other noises and focused on the barely conscious, drunk man in the driver's seat.

"Move over." I said, sternly.

"What?" Jason asked, finally looking back into my eyes with fear and confusion.

"I said move over!"

I gave his arm a shove, almost causing him to fall over. It seemed like he was finally processing what happened.

"Why?"

"Because this never happened!"

My intense glare and demanding tone of voice caught him off guard. He was clearly in no place to argue with me as I tried to shove him over to the passenger's seat. I noticed that he was struggling with his seatbelt; his blurry vision and poor motor senses were not giving him much help either. I became extremely frustrated after watching him fail at freeing himself that I leaned over his limp body and unbuckled his seatbelt for him. I could tell he was upset with himself when he practically slammed his hands down on his seat and let out a loud groan. He was functioning just enough to maneuver over and let me into the driver's seat.

I quickly turned down the music so that there was nothing playing and backed out of the telephone pole. The bending and cracking of metal filled my ears causing me to wince. I had no idea what was wrong with his car, and part of me prayed that nothing serious would happen.

I never looked back to see if Spencer had left too but I just assumed she would listen. Hopefully I was right.

"Aria you don't have to do this…" He slurred guiltily, breaking me out of my thoughts.

A scowl crawled over my face and I felt some anger surge through me. He was right, I didn't have to help him because it was his own stupid ass fault to go drink and drive, but then another part of me felt bad. Yes, I was angry at him for pulling such an idiotic move, but all I could think about was what could have happened to him if no one was there to help.

Im sure Jason wasn't realizing it in his drunken state of mind, but no one else would have helped him out, not after all the drama and past mistakes he's made. I was the only one in this gossiping small town that was going to give him a chance.

"Just shut up."

My angry tone was apparently enough to make him listen because he never said a word the rest of the way home.

The sounds the car was making were quite scary and it didn't take long for smoke to begin to rise out of the dented hood. Internally I was panicking but I knew I had to keep my cool to get both of us home safely. His deep breathing was another thing that was frightening me. I wasn't a doctor like Wren and I had no idea if there was something internally wrong with Jason that I couldn't see. To clear my head, I just assumed it was just the alcohol messing with his lungs.

It seemed like hours but only fifteen minutes later I pulled into Jason's driveway, making sure to park the car behind his house in the grass. I knew the last thing he would want in the morning was for people to figure out that he had been in a car accident over night. Jason had enough problems to deal with and a DUI was not going to be one of them.

I quickly shut the car off and waited until the car stopped smoking to let out a deep breath of air. I took both hands off the steering wheel and practically ran out of the car and over to Jason's door.

I opened it up for him and reached down under his right arm to help him up. His weight was so much more than mine because of his muscular build and height, but thankfully he wasn't too drunk that he could stand up.

I could tell it was hard for him to balance so I kept an arm around his waist and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He stumbled a few times to his back door but was still able to walk to a decent extent. We both stopped at the door and didn't move for a few moments.

"Okay Jase, where's the key?" I panted, tired from lugging around his muscular frame.

I felt like I was babying him, talking to him like he was a little kid who I had to carry inside. But right now, I didn't really care. I just wanted to get him inside so he could lie down and relax.

I saw him reach into his back pocket and pull out a key. I was expecting him to try and fumble with the doorknob in an attempt to save some on his dignity, but surprisingly, he just handed me the key, not wanting to bother with embarrassing himself to seem independent.

I unlocked the door while still keeping one arm around Jason and pushed it open. The warm air hit both of us as we walked inside.

"Okay good. Now where's your room?"

I felt like a babysitter but I don't think he really cared or noticed at this point. I felt him start to lead me to the stairs as I helped him climb. His weight seemed to become heavier and heavier with each and every step, but I pushed through it. I could tell he wanted to walk up by himself but he kept stumbling and falling every time he tried. He never said anything as I continued to help him. The only thing that escaped his lips were pain and shameful groans.

Jason led me down the hall to the right, and if I remembered correctly, that was the same room he had when he was a kid. The only reason I remembered this is because it was the room directly across from Ali's, but her old door seemed to be shut.

I pushed open Jason's door and scanned my hand over the wall for a light switch. Once I found it, the lights kicked on, allowing me to safely enter Jason's room.

I walked him over to his queen sized bed and gently let him sit down. When his weight was off my shoulders, I felt this wave of relief wash over them. My muscles felt like they were alive again, like they had just received their first breath of air.

I saw him roll onto his back and over to his pillows before moving over to the far left of the bed. I was finally able to relax my own feet as I plopped down alongside him on the bed. I kicked off my shoes while my feet were still hanging off the bed before I took a good long look at the only room in the DiLaurentis house I've never seen before.

His bed was fairly large with navy blue sheets and a medium gray comforter. His walls were a nice shade of blue with several posters ranging from Lebron James to his Ivy League Collage flag. There was an adjoining bathroom to the right corner and he had a dresser across from his bed that was made of a nice tan wood, a digital clock was resting on top of it. Next to the bed on my side was a night stand with a simple, white-shaded lamp along with a watch and some mail laying askew.

Right under the lamp shade was a picture frame. I took the picture in my hands and gave it a long hard look.

The picture was of Jason and Alison what seemed like to be a few days or weeks before she died. Alison was on Jason's back laughing and Jason was bent over towards the camera, holding his little sister with ease. Jason's face was of pure happiness, one I've never seen him wear before. It was no secret Jason and Ali never really got along, so a moment like this with his sister must have been pretty sentimental to him for him to put it in a frame next to his bed.

Feeling like I was invading Jason's personal space, I set the picture back down on the night stand.

Almost at that exact same moment the frame hit the stand, my phone buzzed. Figuring it was Spencer, I dug it out of my pocket and unlocked it, gazing into the bright screen.

_Looks like my gravestone was wrong. Next time he won't be so lucky. –A_

I froze. I thought back to the gravestones 'A' had left in my back yard. It took all my memory to look back on that day and get a perfect image of what Jason's gravestone had carved in it.

"Jason DiLaurentis. Couldn't escape his fate. March 03, 1989 – September 01, 2012"

I looked over at the digital clock that was perched on Jason's dresser. The red numbers on the screen read 12:30 AM. I thought in my head about what today's date was. If the fashion show was on August, 31 2012 then…

"No… No, no, no…"

I fell back onto the pillow near his head board. The thought of 'A' somehow having something to do with this was just sickening. But how had they done it?

I looked over to Jason who was barely able to stay awake. He seemed to be just staring that the ceiling with his glazed over eyes, not really able to focus on much.

I picked myself off the bed, slid on my shoes and walked over to this bedroom door, ready to look around for any signs that 'A' had been here.

"No… where are you going…?"

Jason's slurred and soft question caught me by surprise, but I kept walking and never turned back around. I figured he was making some sad, distraught face from his tone of voice, but I didn't have the patience right now to listen to him worry about something as small as me leaving the room.

"I'll be back." I said simply, shutting his door behind me.

I curiously walked down the stairs looking at every picture frame, wall and door that could lead to some evidence about 'A.'

I made my way into the kitchen and walked over to the trash can. I flipped open the lid and the overwhelming smell of beer caused me to jerk my head back. I regained my senses and dug though the trash can, counting every empty bottle I found.

Twelve. Jason had downed twelve beers by himself in approximately an hour.

I looked over to his fridge to make sure there were no more six packs of alcohol left for him to drink. Opening up the cold door and feeling the rush of air hit my skin, I saw one more six pack still left untouched on the bottom shelf.

I picked up the heavy load but quickly noticed there was a piece of white paper taped to the bottom of it. My hand grazed over it as I was getting a better grip on the package. I ripped it off, setting the beers down on the counter and opened the note.

_I can lead a horse to water but I can't make him drink it. –A_

'A' set this up. 'A' was the one who sabotaged the show using Mike as a pawn and then put alcohol in Jason's fridge knowing about his past and how he would have the urge to drink.

I crumbled up the piece of paper in my hands and tore it to shreds before angirly tossing it into the trash can. I grabbed the beers and took them out the back door, throwing them out by the street into the garbage cans for the trash collectors to pick them up tomorrow morning.

I looked back over to Jason's family's rental car. The whole front of it was destroyed and come daylight, the whole neighborhood would probably notice it.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a large blue tarp next to the DiLaurentis shed. It took all my power to hoist this thing up over my shoulder and cover up Jason's car. It took me a good fifteen minutes to cover up the whole thing considering how petite I was.

Panting and somewhat sweaty, I checked over the whole car and sighed. The only thing that was noticeable on the car was his tires, but thankfully those didn't look too bad besides the front right one which was completely flat. At least this would kind of hide the accident, as long as Spencer kept her part.

Speaking of the youngest Hastings, I pulled out my phone to send her a quick text to see what was going on, but apparently while I was covering up Jason's car, she sent me one first.

_Police came but Toby and I covered for you. I told him what happened and he said he'll look at it tomorrow. Your mom thinks your at my house. –Spencer_

I let out a breath of fresh air. Thank God I had such great friends as Spencer and Toby. I knew she wasn't happy about the whole situation but she would always have my back. I knew Toby was great with vehicles and had connections to local car shops, so I was relieved that everything could be fixed come tomorrow afternoon.

As I was walking back inside I thought back to what 'A' had done. Whoever this was, they made it seem like Jason would have accidentally killed himself by drinking and driving, even though 'A' had initiated the response.

I climbed the stairs and felt tears well up in my eyes again. If Jason would have drank just one more beer before driving, he would have died tonight, and I would have been there to witness it.

I opened the door to Jason's room and switched off the light. The window next to the bed was casting enough light in from the moon to give more than enough light to see. I quietly sat down on the bed and laid back against the head board.

Finally, 'A' had cracked my shell.

I felt the tears begin to fall onto Jason's sheets and a few quiet sobs escaped my throat. This 'A' wasn't just out for revenge, but they were after our lives. These weren't childish sorts of mind games, they were evil and vindictive, going after people other than ourselves to scare us even more than we already were.

I looked over to the man laying next to me in the moon light, tears obscuring my vision. He was now resting on his side away from me, looking peaceful and free of all the horrors of 'A' that could be lurking in his mind. In a way, I was jealous he didn't have to deal with any of their mind games like I had to, but then again, Jason was suppose to lose his life tonight.

I let those words play over and over in my head until the tears were nonstop. Jason was planned to die today. His life would had ended if one more drop of beer would have entered his mouth and I wasn't there to hide him from the crash. It brought the memories of Hanna's accident all those years ago back up to the surface.

I would have felt so responsible if Jason would have died tonight.

I let myself wallow in my sorrows for a few minutes but my sobs never seemed to stop. I tried to keep them quiet so Jason wouldn't hear but it wasn't long before I heard and felt the bed start to shift.

"Aria…?" His tired and still slightly slurring voice asked.

A loud and inadvertent hiccup escaped my lips as the tears continued to flow. Jason fumbled with the lamp and light soon filled up the room.

I could tell he was staring at me and saw the tear stains on my face. I'm sure it was red and puffy and I didn't particularly want him to see me like this, so I turned my head away from him and towards the wall, blocking his view to my face.

"No… Aria, don't cry. I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry."

I felt large, warm arms wrap around my shoulders and pull me into their warmth. There was no way my tears were staying in now.

I felt all my emotions just let go as I sobbed and cried freely into his chest, leaving tear stains down his red, crinkled shirt. I wrapped my arms slightly around his midsection, feeling that the closer I got to him the safer he and I both were.

"Shhhh…" I heard him say a few times, resting his chin atop my head.

Even though he was only slightly awake and coherent due to his alcohol consumption, I felt comforted and protected within his strong arms. He was rubbing his hands up and down on my back trying to get me to calm down.

"I'm sorry, Aria…" He said in a whisper. "I don't know what I was thinking… please, please don't hate me."

I didn't mean to let out a one syllable laugh but it just seemed to slip out. I couldn't help but think about how horrible it must have looked on his part. He probably thought I was crying just over the fact that he could have been seriously hurt, which was completely true. If anything would have happened to Jason I wouldn't know what to do with myself.

I think I laughed because he was still partially drunk and was trying to comfort me. For God's sake he was the one just almost murdered and he was comforting me! Even if he didn't realize it, he was in a bigger mess than he thought.

I thought back to his words and he sounded like a small child who just had been scolded by his mother. Apparently Jason was the sad and almost childlike drunk type.

I pulled myself away from his chest and wiped my eyes, clearing my vision of all the stray tears. I looked into Jason's eyes to see that they were still cloudy and glazed, but they were slowly coming back to their original color of baby blue.

I gave a comforting smile. "I could never hate you, Jason."

My words were true and I didn't even realize I said them until they slipped out of my mouth. Like I had said before, I don't know what I would do if something ever happened to the man sitting next to me, and that's because I finally realized that he is one of the biggest parts of my life.

I feel responsible for his well-being because I brought him into this mess with 'A', and I sure as hell was not going to be the one to let him get killed because of it.

I watched him nod absently and look down at the bed, afraid to look at me while he spoke.

"I don't know what I was thinking…" He whispered. "I was so mad at what happened at the show. I came home and was going to go to sleep but I saw the beers in my fridge… I-I don't know where they came from…"

His voice was soft and shallow, showing me how ashamed he was about what he did.

I took my hand and gently placed it under his chin, forcing him to look at me.

"I know." I whispered, comfortingly. "I know you didn't mean to do it. Everything is over now… you're home and safe."

He looked so small and fragile despite his large frame and muscular body. He was inadvertently giving me puppy dog eyes like he was about to cry, but I never saw any tears; he was too strong for that.

"I'm not that person anymore…"

I could tell he was heartbroken. He had gotten himself so far away from his drinking past that for him to go back to it must have felt like a kick to the groin. The intense pain he had for himself was evident and I felt like in somehow, someway, it was my duty to fix it.

"I know, Jase." I said softly, brushing my thumb along his cheek. "You're not like that anymore. I believe you."

He nodded and relaxed under my touch. He leaned back towards his pillow, letting his muscles relax once more.

I soon followed suit and lay next to him, staring up at the ceiling.

"Are you going to stay up?" He asked, looking over at me with tired eyes.

I thought about my answer. "Yes, I'm not really that tired."

My answer was truthful but only partially. My body was practically on empty but my mind was running around like the tank was full. After walking down the runway for several hours, moving Jason's limp body into the house and moving that tarp, my muscles were exhausted. My racing mind was the only thing keeping me awake.

I heard him stir and I looked over to see that he was getting more comfortable, but he wasn't getting ready to fall asleep. Instead, he rolled over to look at me, his head resting in his hand that was propped up on his elbow.

"Me too." He said, looking me dead in the eyes.

I scoffed. "You're tired. You should get some sleep."

"So should you."

"I wasn't the one who got in a car accident."

My challenging tone wasn't meant to be harsh, but I saw his face fall and I instantly felt bad about what I had said.

"Jase, I'm sorry… That's not what I meant."

He shook his head slightly. "Yes it was. I know, I messed up. I need to accept that."

I didn't really want to argue with him any longer so I just let it be at that. Even with alcohol still in his blood stream, he was sane enough to take responsibility for his actions, and that was something I admired.

We stayed silent for a long time. He was just studying my facial features and I was looking off into space. I kept glancing over the picture of him and Alison. They looked so happy and it was probably one of the few times they were ever like that.

"What are you thinking about?" He finally asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I sighed. "A lot." I said simply, looking over at him.

I saw a smirk cross his lips and I raised my eye brows, curious as to what he was thinking.

"Do you want to finish our game?" He questioned, shifting in his position on the bed.

I looked at him like he was crazy. Not only was it around one o'clock in the morning, but he was still tipsy from all those beers and really needed to get some sleep.

The genuine look in his eyes told me that he really wanted to pick up our game where we left off, despite me not really wanting to confess my past relationship with Ezra. But also, I could see that he was tired, and was only staying up because I was.

I tried to get him out of the game, but I failed miserably.

"Jason, your still drunk and probably won't remember anything, let's just wait until tomorrow."

I was trying to be reasonable but it only seemed to get him more excited.

"Exactly. So you can tell me all your deepest darkest secrets and I'll never know past tonight."

I sighed. I would rather him have just passed out at the wheel then have to play this game with him right now. But the boyish smile that was beginning to play on his lips made me change my mind. It was rare to see him so carefree, even if he was drunk. And hey, maybe if I was lucky he would be right. He wouldn't remember what I told him and this could all just seem like a dream.

"Fine." I said, giving in.

I watched as he sat up on his bed and turned his body to face me. His legs were stretched out around me so that we were facing each other while I was stilling Indian style in between his muscular legs.

"If I remember correctly, you were telling me about your past relationship."

Damn. I was going to pretend that his drunken mind made it up but I didn't want to sound rude again. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, much like he does when he's not sure of what to say.

"Alright…" I groaned, dreading this game of twenty questions. "But remember, it's a secret."

I put my finger up to my lips to signal that this was a private conversation. I instantly started to giggle when I saw that he mimicked me. Maybe this game would be fun if he was going to act as little boyish as he was now.

"It comes out to be a really long story, but I met this guy in a bar, we hit it off and then the next week at school, he turned out to my new English teacher… Mr. Fitz…"

I watched as Jason's eyes got as wide as saucers. I knew that was the last person he was expecting to here. His jaw dropped and he looked like he was about to say something but could never find the words. He still had his drunken little kid face on but moment by moment I could see him coming back to the coherent Jason I was so use to. At this point I wasn't sure which one I would rather have.

"You… You dated Mr. Fitz?" He repeated still trying to process it.

I just nodded, hoping this conversation was going to end soon, but I knew I was never that lucky.

"What about Noel?"

His question caught me off guard and I looked at him with a confused expression. I could tell he was deep in thought. I figured because his mind was working slower right now it was taking him longer to process all this new information and interesting questions that for forming in his mind.

"Noel looks at you all the time… you blew him a kiss tonight at the show." He looked down at his hands like he didn't want to say it. I wasn't sure why he was getting so weird about talking about Noel, but I just brushed it off like he was embarrassed to talk about guys with me.

"Noel is just a friend. We've had our differences but we talked about it when he took me home." I explained, catching his gazed once again.

"I'm sorry… I was going to take you home but then Noel walked up…"

He trailed off at the end of his sentence, not really wanting to finish it. I was so curious as to they he was being so secretive about this whole Noel thing. I could tell by his downward glace that he didn't want to talk about it, but I knew in his half-drunken state this might be my only time to get an answer.

"Why don't you like talking about Noel?" I asked softly, not wanted to swim in rough waters.

He fidgeted and looked uncomfortable. I felt slightly bad for him putting him on the spot, but then again, he wanted to play this game and it was a fair question.

"He just looks at you funny... it seems like you might be attracted him as more than a friend..."

I knew for a fact that wasn't the whole answer, and I also knew that he didn't want to continue this conversation. I was about to say that Noel and I had nothing going on but he beat me to the punch.

"Did you know Alison was into photography?" He asked, changing the tone of the game.

It surprised me a little and I didn't have a response right way. I mumbled a quiet 'no' and watched his he gave me a small smile and turned around.

He bent down over the side and he looked like he was searching under the bed for something. His jeans were hanging precariously on his hips, falling down slightly to reveal his blue plaid boxers as he bent over. I was going to say a snarky comment like 'nice butt' or something of that nature, but that felt a little inappropriate so I decided against that idea.

He sat back up into his original position, wobbling a little bit because of all the blood that rushed to his head from being upside down.

I noticed that he brought up a pitch black, plastic folder that seemed to be holding large 10x14 pictures inside. I couldn't tell what they were of because the flap was taped shut. I could tell by the way it felt when he handed it to me that there were several pictures inside.

I looked into his eyes as if asking my permission to open it and he just nodded in response. I gently tugged off the tape that was concealing the envelope's contents and slide my fingers over the plastic.

I gasped at what I saw.

Inside the envelope were several photographs of me; most of them were taken while I was asleep but there were a few candid's of me while I was awake and alert.

I put my hand over my mouth and looked in awe at all of these photos. The photo paper they were on showed that they were recently developed. I came to the conclusion that Alison must have taken them before she passed, but Jason found them after remodeling the house and developed them to see what they were.

I took a long hard look at one picture in particular. It was of me while I was asleep but my hair looked like it was flowing behind me on the pillow. My lips were slightly parted and it looked like I was peacefully asleep, dreaming about the wonders of the world before it turned dark and gray. There seemed to be a small smile playing on my lips and my hands were resting in tiny, relaxed fists by my face.

I noticed I still had that pink streak in my hair and it caused me to smile.

"These are beautiful…" I breathed, not quite sure of what else to say.

I never looked up at Jason as I spoke, too mesmerized by Alison's photographs of me.

"I thought they were too."

Jason's simple sentenced cause me to finally look back into his eyes. They were no longer glassy and clouded; he finally looked alert and somewhat awake.

There were a few stands of Jason's hair straggling along his forehead, giving him a hot mess sort of look. That boyish charm he once possessed while being intoxicated was almost completely gone, but his innocence still seemed to remain.

"I found these under some floorboards in Ali's room. I had no idea what they were so I built a darkroom in the shed." He paused and looked down at the pictures in my hand. "When I saw those were of you I was going to have them framed and give them to you… but I figured now would be a good time since you're here…"

I looked down back at the pictures like he was and began to flip through them again. They all looked so professionally done it was hard to believe Alison took these while I was asleep and I never noticed.

I smiled at my favorite picture and ran my thumb over the smooth photography paper.

"This one's my favorite." I stated simply.

I saw him move closer to get a better look at the picture, his body getting closer and closer to mine.

"Mine too."

I looked up at him and saw he was smiling. It was a small but genuine, content smile.

"Everything about you in this picture..." He started again "...look's amazing."

I found myself blushing at Jason's sweet remark. I could feel his eyes on me but I didn't want him to notice my pink cheeks.

After a few moments of not looking at him, I felt his hand gently touch the bottom of my chin, forcing me to lock eyes, much like I had done with him earlier. It looked like he was coherent and the tipsiness was gone, but it was still hard to tell.

"Don't hide from me…" He whispered. "You look just as beautiful now as you do in that picture."

Once again I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. I had never seen Jason so open and romantic before. It was like swimming in forbidden water and he was the one guiding me through it.

I felt his fingers graze up to my cheek, rubbing soft circles along my skin in a rhythmic pattern. His face was only inches from mine and I could feel his hot breath on my skin. Those piercing blue eyes were locked with mine and I couldn't pry myself away from them. I could tell he was trying to read me and I was doing the same with him. I had no idea what he was planning on doing, but I knew this wasn't the right time.

"Jason, we should really be getting to bed. It's late and-"

I felt his pointer finger maneuver its way over my lips to silence me from talking. His eyes were still intently focused on mine, reading me to see if his moves were out of line.

"Just let me try this… please. I need to know if what is going through my head right now is real…"

His pleading, soft voice echoed through my eardrums and caused my blood pressure to run sky high. He was once again running his fingers over the skin on my cheek and it sent shivers down my spine. My heart rate picked up and I could feel it beating through my chest and into my veins.

I haven't felt anything like this since when I first met Ezra.

I watched as his lips parted slightly and he moved closer to me, closing off the little distance was had between us. There were no sounds in the room besides my heavy breathing and his soft ones.

I felt that he used his legs that were still on either side of me, to pull his body closer. He kept his right hand softly on my cheek at all times, and I felt his left hand slide up my calf and onto the lower part of my thigh. I jumped a little at the initial contact but quickly calmed down.

In my head, I knew what he was going to do, and I also knew that this probably wasn't the best time for it… but I didn't have the will to stop him.

He got about an inch away from my face and I felt his hot breath on my lips, practically forcing me to lick them to keep them moist. His eyes were locked on to mine for a few moments, anticipating my reaction, hoping that whatever he wanted to do wasn't crossing a moral boundary.

After a moment or two of suspense and anxiety, it happened.

He leaned in with one swift motion and kissed me passionately.

It was a soft, trying kiss to see how I would react. Even though I had assumed this is what he was going for, I was still taken by surprise when his lips actually touched mine. I didn't kiss him back at first, still in shock and confusion at what was going on with my best friend's older brother, and eventually he pulled away.

He kept his face near mine for another second or two, lips still parted seductively, teasing me into wanting to feel his lips on mine for a second time.

"Come on, Aria…" He breathed. "Kiss me…"

And I did. I couldn't take it any longer. I practically jumped onto his lap and wrapped my arms around his shoulders, forcefully putting my lips onto his.

I could tell he wasn't expecting my hasty attack, and I felt his body getting knocked back slightly. He had to use his arms to catch himself from falling off the side of the bed, but I soon felt those same arms snake around my lower back and pull me closer to him.

I was now on my knees in between his legs with his arms wrapped tightly around my lower back, having the steamiest kiss I had shared with someone in a very long time. His right hand began to glide up my back and into my hair, pushing my lips harder onto his.

I knew that this was probably wrong, falling for an older man again, especially one I just got to know on a personal level after a drunken driving accident.

But to me, this felt so right.

After a long session of passionate kissing I pulled back to catch my breath. My face was inches from his and my mouth was hanging wide open, sucking in air as hard and as fast as I can. Normally, I would have felt stupid doing this, but thankfully Jason was doing the exact same thing.

We were looking at each other intently, trying to read to see what the other person thought about this whole situation.

Never in my life would I have dreamed of kissing Jason DiLaurentis… and never in my life would I have thought that he tasted so good.

My breathing began getting less intense and slowly was getting back to its normal steady pace. I relaxed my arms that were around his neck and placed them loosely on his shoulders, sitting gently back down on my knees.

Jason took his hand away from the back of my head and placed both his hands on the sides of my thighs. He was looking at me like he was scared to speak, scared that he crossed the line with me and that I was going to run off like everyone else in his life.

What he didn't know was that I was never going to leave him from this point forward.

"Stay." He finally said in a hushed, soulful whisper.

I nodded as we both began to reposition ourselves on the bed into a more comfortable sleeping position. I was on the left facing him and he was doing the same from his side of the bed.

I felt like we had been looking at each other for hours, but in reality it had only been a few minutes.

"Goodnight, Jason" I said, letting a yawn escape my tingling lips.

As I closed my eyes feeling the sleep come over me, just like the night before, I was barely able to hear him respond.

"Goodnight, Aria."

**It finally happened! I hope you all liked it!**

**Please tell me your opinions on the most recent episode of Pretty Little Liars in regards to what happened to Jason! Were you just as shocked and scared as I was?**

**Review and tell me your thoughts!**

**-Cheyenne**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 is a go! I wanted to say that the last PLL episode was very intense! What exactly happened to Jason!? I was freaking out the whole time when he disappeared! When he was in that elevator, I swear I was screaming so loud the whole cast and crew probably heard me!**

**Special thanks to CrazyLittleLiar, jariafan15, Stelenton2, joy, caringiscreepyx, Jenn23, cristinaheartowen, ShadowKissedLyokoWarrior, Jaria2.0, (unknown guest), (unknown guest), mariabrieva, NUNUBAYBE, and myskeletonkeys! All of you give me the passion to update quickly and write more chapters!**

**Enjoy the newest edition!**

**-Cheyenne**

The next morning seemed to come by all too fast as the bright lights of the new morning glared into my eyelids. I tried to block it out but no matter how tight I squeezed my eyes shut, it just seemed like the light would get brighter and brighter, mocking at my attempt to shut it out.

I rolled onto my back and stretched out my limbs, feeling the dull aches and pains from the night before. My arms reached out over the sides of the bed but I felt nothing but sheets and pillows.

I ran my eyes over the nooks and crannies of the room to see if I could spot the owner of this bed, but nothing caught my eye. The clock on his dresser read 10:27. I was silently thanking the lord that it was still the weekend and I wouldn't have to get ready for school this morning.

Letting a loud yawn escape my lips, I sat up lazily in Jason's bed and thought back to the night before.

The images of Alison's slideshow being defaced were the first things to pop into my head, followed by the imaginary evil laughing face of my brother who had sabotaged it. It was just so hard for me to clearly picture Mike doing such a thing to someone he barely even knew… Then there was 'A.' They had put Mike up to destroying the show and then proceeded to encourage Jason to drink himself into a haze and get in a car accident.

Oh my God, Jason.

I recalled every little bit of information about that night; his totaled car, the ashamed look on his face, the sadness, the hurt, the pain. Everything seemed to be flooding my mind relentlessly causing it to dully throb.

I ran my hands through my hair and felt the bump where the stitches once resided. Wren had graciously taken them out for me the day before the fashion show, making sure to remind me to still take my medication. The only thing that kept reminding me of it was the small bruise and the random headaches that seemed to come from thinking too hard.

But seriously, where was he?

The side of the bed next to me looked like it had been slept in, but the adjoining bathroom didn't look to be used since last night.

_Looks like my gravestone was wrong. Next time he won't be so lucky. –A_

'A's sick and twisted words rang through my head like a Chinese gong. Had 'A' tried to kill him once again after only a few hours? Did Jason leave to go get some more drinks?

No, I knew him better than that. From what I could tell last night, Jason seemed to be really ashamed of himself after what happened, there was no way he was going to do something like that any time soon, or ever again.

Yet, the only thing that seemed to be crossing my mind was the vindictive prowess of our unknown stalker. Jason wouldn't just leave me here in his house alone, would he?

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through my eardrums and caused me to jump. It seemed to come from outside in the back yard but I couldn't be sure.

Fearing the worst and being paranoid as always, I jumped out of Jason's bed in hast, the comforter landing half on the ground unceremoniously. My feet seemed to be tripping over every little thing in my path; I almost even fell down the stairs a few times because my mind was racing faster than my body could.

I whipped around the corner using the banister to twirl me around as I ran through his back hallway and out the backdoor. It seemed like all the worst possibilities were running through my head and my stomach felt like it was in knots.

"Jason!" I yelled opening the door to the backyard, thinking the worst.

My heart kept racing but my mind seemed to be doing a hundred different things as my eyes scanned over Jason's back lawn, trying to process what was going on.

"Calm down, Sherlock. He's right over there."

Spencer's familiar voice caught me off guard as I whipped my head to the left to see her lounging on one of the DiLaurentis deck chairs. She was wearing a nice, floral summer top with jean shorts and a pair of Sperry's. Her legs were crossed at the end of the chair and a book was resting in her hands on her lap.

After taking a short look at Spencer, I turned to the left to see that Jason's car was out from under the blue tarp and sitting up on jacks. It still looked completely wrecked but now a few parts were missing from the hood.

I saw Toby Cavanaugh looking at me with his stunning light blue eyes. His was wearing a white tank top and blue jeans that both seemed to be covered in oil as well as other sorts of dirt and grease. His hair was sticking up awkwardly like he had been out here all day and there was a large wrench in his hand.

Finally, I found the man I was looking for.

Jason looked up from the other side of the car, just enough so that I could see his upper body and face. His hair was also a mess only his shirt seemed to be off and I couldn't tell what pants he was wearing. He was looking at me with his own set of baby blues and a worried/puzzled expression was looming on his face.

"Aria? What's wrong, are you okay?"

His tone of voice told me that he was genuinely worried. I took me awhile to process what was happening but finally I regained my composure. I was panting slightly from running through his house, I was in wrinkled cloths from sleeping in them and I looked like there was a murderer in the house… even though that could actually be true and we just didn't know it…

I felt every single pair of eyes looking at me and I swallowed a gulp of air.

"Ummm…" I started, not quite able to think of the appropriate words. "Yea… I'm fine."

I shook my head trying to clear the cobwebs and I felt my muscles start to relax. Out of my peripherals I saw Spencer turn back to her book and flip the page. She seemed to be reading To Kill a Mockingbird.

"I brought you some clothes." She said, never looking at me. "There in Toby's truck."

Hearing his name, Toby took attention.

"Oh yea. Here, I'll go grab them for you."

I watched as Toby tossed the wrench onto the grass next to Jason's missing two front tires. The soft pat on the grass seemed to calm me. I wasn't sure why, but I figured it had something to do with the sounds of normalcy.

As Toby walked to the front yard, Jason began to make his way over to me, wiping his hands on an old cloth that was stained with the same things that were on his clothes. I noticed that he was wearing the same jeans from last night and there was a small bandage on his forehead where he cut his head.

He stepped onto the concrete where Spencer and I were and got about a foot away from me before stopping. He looked content but worried at the same time, a face I was able to decipher right away even though he was trying to hide it.

I could smell the oil on his body as well as some of the left over alcohol. The smell of his cologne was masking it well, but I was never going to forget that smell after last night. It seemed to be permanently glued in my nostrils.

"Are you okay?" He asked again, stuffing the cloth in his back pocket.

I looked from his eyes, to the ground and back again, hoping that he wouldn't see the worry that was once on my face.

"Yea… yea I just didn't know where you were at first… It felt weird to be alone in someone else's room."

I heard Spencer scuff as my excuse from a few feet away in her chair. She had this amused smirk on her face that I wanted to scowl at, but I knew she wouldn't see it because her eyes were focused on her book.

"Be nice, Spencer." I heard Toby say as I was about to speak, walking up with a small bag of clothes. "She was just helping out a friend and was worried about him."

Toby tossed me my stuff and I caught it with both hands. It seemed to be just a simple pair of shorts and a t-shirt, along with a clean bra and panties. I kept an extra pair of clothes at all the girl's houses in case of emergencies; I was thankful for that idea in this particular case.

"I know if it was me in that car, you would have smashed me further into that telephone poll!"

Spencer threw her book at Toby who just laughed and deflected the hit with his arm. Despite their polar opposite personalities, they meshed perfectly together. Toby knew all of Spencer's buttons and was careful not to push them, but he still challenged her in a way she never knew. She wouldn't admit it, but I could tell by the smile on her face that Toby's presence made her a better person. I could only hope in time that I would find a man like that someday.

As Toby was walking back to hand Spencer her book, which was now covered in grass, I heard Jason begin to speak.

"You can change in the down stairs bathroom, or you are more than welcome to shower and use mine… that is, if it's not too weird for you."

I saw him form a playful smirk on his lips and I gently pushed his shoulder as a friendly gesture. I could hear Toby chuckling next to Spencer and I swore I heard a similar one escape Jason's lips as well.

"I would love one, thank you." I responded in a cheeky tone, making sure his joke was accepted.

He rolled his eyes as I turned heel and walked back into the DiLaurentis home. The house looked more friendly in the day time with picture frames and artwork hanging beautifully on the walls and shelves. All the walls were perfectly painted to fit the mood and style of each room and everyone seemed to have their own décor.

I heard a pair of footsteps follow me inside and I turned to look over my shoulder. Jason seemed to be following me.

"I never said you could join." I joked.

He let out a small chuckle as we both began to climb the stairs, his hand getting precariously close to mind on the railing as we went up.

"I was just going to get you some towels and shampoo." He said, walking over to the closet at the end of the hall. "I doubt my Axe for Men shampoo and conditioner will be sufficient for your hair."

I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm and watched as his hands glided over the contents of the closet to find some shampoo and a towel for me. He gently handed them over and gave me his signature Jason stare, trying to read what I was thinking.

"You need to quit doing that." I teased

He raised a brow and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the threshold his bathroom while I stepped inside.

"Quit doing what?" He asked as I placed the towel down on the sink.

"Trying to figure out what I'm thinking."

I saw him look down at the floor with a small smile curling on his lips. He knew that I knew what that stare was used for, and I was probably the only one who truly knew its meaning. Everyone else just thought it was to be scary, but I knew him better than that.

I heard a one syllable laugh as he looked back up at me, that toothless smile never fading.

"I don't even realize I'm doing it." He said. "But I'm pretty sure I did figure out what you were thinking of…"

Now it was my turn to raise a brow. I moved to about an inch or two away from him, his towering figure looking down at me.

"Oh yea? And what was that exactly?" I teased, getting chills as his breath hit my skin.

I watched his eyes look over my shoulder and onto the shower before they looked back at me.

"That this shower looks just a little too big for just one person."

Oh my.

I could feel my cheeks blushing at the thought of two people in particular sharing a hot and steamy shower. I didn't realize it as the blood was rushing to my face that my eyes got a little wider and my jaw opened slightly.

"What?" He continued, shrugging his shoulders. "I was talking about Toby and Spencer."

I gave him a scowl and pushed him out of the bathroom. His laughs seemed to fill the room with bliss before I was able to shut him out, the sounds of his deep voice still singing in my ears.

I kept my back against the door until I heard his chuckles and footsteps fade out of his bedroom and back down the stairs. I sighed and felt my own smile taking over my face. It was nice to see him happy and joyous as compared to last night. Sure, it seemed to be a little forward, but right now I was just happy he didn't have alcohol poisoning.

I stepped into the shower and let the refreshing waves of hot water wash over my aching muscles, taking me to a place of peace for the first time in a long time.

* * *

After my body was cleansed, I put on the simple, white V-neck t-shirt with a black camisole and bra. The jean shorts were from a few years ago so they were a little snug, but nothing too overwhelming that I felt uncomfortable in. I slid on my sneakers and pulled my hair back in a ponytail, seeing as which I had no hair care products here and I doubted Jason would have anything besides men's hair gel.

Once satisfied that everything was alright, I hung my wet towel up on the hook in the bathroom and placed the shampoo and conditioner on the corner of the bathtub, not wanting to rummage through his closet and be rude.

As I was walking down the stairs I could hear the clacks and clangs of the boy's working on Jason's car, as well as a friendly conversation between the two.

Walking outside, Spencer was still reading her book right where we left her and the boys were looking under the hood intently at the car.

"Seriously dude, you're so lucky I worked as a mechanic for five summers. This shit isn't easy to fix."

I always found it funny how when guys talk to each other, their voices seem to get deeper like they are trying to be manlier. It was funny to compare Toby's normal, soothing voice when he talks to us girls, and compare it to now when his having bro time with Jason.

"You don't know how much I appreciate the help…" Jason said sincerely, rubbing his fingers through his hair. "I know a good bit about cars, but without your help this couldn't be done."

Jason gave Toby a friendly slap on the back and Toby just shyly looked down at the ground, happy to be of some assistance.

"There's still a lot to do. Help me move this motor out of the back of my truck and then we will really see how much of a pro I really am."

Friendly smiles passed between the two as Toby lead Jason over to his Ford to get out the needed parts for the remodeling.

Not really being interested in car parts or mechanics, I walked over to Spencer and set up another lawn chair that was leaning up against the side of the house. I set it up a foot away from Spencer and sat down, but she never looked up from her book.

I sighed and leaned back sluggishly. I knew she was not at all happy about this situation, but it was comforting to know that she was still here for me even though she was left in the dark concerning Jason and I's relationship.

Truth be told, I didn't even know what was going on with us at this point.

"So um… why are you here?" I asked, trying not to sound rude.

I honestly had no idea why Spencer was chilling over at Jason's house. I assumed she came with Toby, but I had no idea why she stayed. She could have left a few hours ago and left the boys to work on Jason's car.

I heard her sigh and place the book down on her lap, making sure to stick her book mark on the correct page to keep her place. She slid her sunglasses to the top of her head and looked at me, a tired expression evident on her face.

"I wanted to talk to you." She said simply.

"About what?"

Again, she sighed, like she didn't really want to have this conversation with me. I knew for a fact she was going to bring up Jason, and I couldn't really blame her. She was sketchy about the whole idea of Jason and I becoming closer, but I couldn't just drop him like a bad cold and leave.

"You know what." Her serious tone was one I was all too familiar with.

We both watched the boys carry the large motor to the car, both of them holding onto one side. I noticed the strained looks on their faces so I assumed this part of the car was very fragile and obnoxiously heavy.

I knew Spencer wasn't going to say anything until I did, and not wanting to put a tear in our friendship, I spoke up.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Spence, I have no idea what is going on with Jason and I right now."

I sighed and rolled my head back, keep my eyes on the guys' muscular figures at all times. I really didn't want to look at Spencer's disapproving gaze right now; I was too tired for it.

She waited for me to continue. "I feel like I'm the only person who cares about him in the stupid town. It's like we're in a city full of nosy people but no one even notices him and the struggles he lives with… He's just the drunk older brother who hides away in his house…"

"But you think otherwise." She stated after I made a slight pause.

I nodded affirmatively. "Yes."

The guys were pulling out all sorts of wires and tubes to release the old motor from Jason's old car. I was expecting Toby to be really good at this, but to my surprise, Jason was keeping pace with him and understood all the terminology Toby was throwing out him.

Men and their toys.

"I think I understand him."

The words once again just seemed to slide out of my mouth before I could catch them. It was something I didn't even know how to explain, but by the look on Spencer's face I could tell she was expecting me to try.

"I mean, we've only talked a few times, but in those moments, I feel like he opened up. Think about it Spence, he hasn't had the chance to talk to anyone about this. His parents are too upset about Alison, all of the Rosewood community thinks he's creepy, and his best friend, Ian, was killed in a bell tower, only for the police to discover that he didn't do it… he literally has no one left who has his back."

I felt the eyes of Spencer on my skin as she was letting the words sink in. Spencer may be stubborn, but she could always listen, even if she didn't agree.

"I don't think he's as innocent as you think he is." She said in her stubborn, Hasting's tone. "He was drunk driving last night and almost got himself killed!"

Spencer's words got pretty loud near the end of her statement, causing the boys to look up from their work and over to where we were sitting.

Jason's eyes sank and he looked down at the ground in shame, knowing that Spencer was disappointed in his stupid mistake. The distraught look Jason had made my heart ache; he didn't even try to defend himself as he slowly went back to working with Toby.

"Spencer, what the hell!?" I whispered loudly with an angry tone.

She just looked at me and rolled her eyes. She began to pick up her book like she was done talking but I smacked it back down to the ground and onto the concrete.

I don't think I've ever seen her look more surprised.

The sound of the hit and the thud the book made to the ground forced the boys to look up again. They saw the angry looks on our faces like we were about to get aggressive. We both noticed the boys hesitantly begin to walk towards us, but Spencer held up her hand, forcing them to stop dead in their tracks.

"It wasn't his fault." I stated after the guys turned back to their work.

She scoffed. "Yea, well then whose was it."

I moved my position from the middle of my chair and over to the edge, trying to be more secretive with Spencer.

"'A.'

I finally got her undivided attention. She practically shot straight up in her seat, her body going rigid in the process. She turned to me like I did with her and leaned in, our faces getting as close as possible without our foreheads touching.

"What does 'A' have to do with this?"

I immediately told her the story of how I found the notes and messages from 'A' about the failed gravestone attempt and the beers in the fridge. She never seemed to interrupt me when I spoke but she did make shocking facial expressions throughout the whole story. It seemed to be setting into her mind that 'A' wanted him dead as well. She would never admit it, but deep down, she knew Jason wasn't as bad as she thought he was, but that still didn't mean she was about to trust him.

"So 'A' set this whole thing up from the beginning?" She asked to confirm.

I just nodded in response. I saw her look down at the ground with a weird look on her face. I raised my eye brows and waited for her to speak, knowing she eventually would.

"I have something to tell you." She said flatly, looking back up into my eyes.

We both looked back over to Toby and Jason for a second to make sure they were still working and not listening in. They both seemed to be too occupied with attaching the new motor to the still usable wires and tubes. I noticed that Jason's expression never seemed to cheer up.

She leaned back a few inches and let out a deep breath.

"When I told my dad I was going with Toby this morning he asked me where I was going. Not thinking, I told him over to Jason's… I don't know why, but he got really defensive and told me that I shouldn't be associating with him. I asked him why and he wouldn't give me a straight answer, but when I left I realized I forgot my phone and when I walked back in, I heard him talking on the phone to someone… he seemed really angry about whatever it was."

She looked down at the ground once she finished. It was like both of our minds were racing trying to process every bit of information but we just couldn't seem to run fast enough.

"What do you think it was?" I asked, trying to get her opinion.

"I don't know… It's definitely about Jason. But I'm going to try to find out more about it. I'll let you know."

I knew from Spencer's tone of voice that this was the end of our conversation. I had no idea what she was planning on doing to find out this information, but I wasn't about to question her. When a Hastings sets their mind to something, it always gets fulfilled.

We both leaned back in our chairs as a comfortable silence washed between us. Spencer went back to reading her book and I was just enjoying the warmth of the sun heating up my skin. It was an unusually warm day for early September, but I wasn't about to complain.

I was nice to have a moment of joy in this week of terror.

* * *

I don't know quite when it happened, but after a few minutes of laying out, I drifted off into a peaceful sleep. I must have still been really tired from last night because even the sounds of the guys fixing Jason's car didn't wake me up.

It must have been at least five hours later until Toby's shining voice pried my eyes open.

"'Bout time!"

I felt the weight in my eyelids decrease as I blinked them open, trying to get use to the evening sun. I saw Toby dramatically fall to the ground in a heap of exhaustion. He fell onto his back and sprawled out his limbs, letting the cooler fall air wash over him. I took notice that he had taken his shirt off and was covered in sweat.

Jason was next to him and plopped down onto the ground as well, only much more gracefully. He sat down with one leg laying down and the other one bent toward the sky. His arm was resting on his leg and he tilted his head back, letting his sore muscles relax. He was just as shirtless and sweaty as Toby was.

I took notice that Spencer seemed to be mesmerized by Toby's physique. I rolled my eyes and tried to hide the fact that I was doing the same thing with Jason's…

"Oh my God…" Spencer breathed.

At first I was a little worried by her tone, but once I followed her eye's I was completely in awe as well.

Jason car looked brand new. The hood was shiny and no longer dented. His wheels were back on and the windshield was replaced with one that wasn't cracked. The red paint was redone and it looked like the car was just bought out of a dealership.

Toby really knew how to work.

Spencer and I both walked up to the car, not getting too close, afraid we might somehow deface it in some way by leaving a scratch or fingerprint. Everything about it seemed perfect, even small marks on the inside were unrecognizable.

"Toby… how did you…"

Spencer couldn't even finish and I don't think I could have either. This was the most spectacular magic trick I had ever seen.

Once we got a good look at the DiLaurentis rental car, we looked over to the boys to see that they were smiling, especially Toby who looked like he was on cloud nine.

"It was nothin'."

Spencer rolled her eyes and walked over to her boyfriend, extending him a hand.

"Show me what you did."

Toby's smile got wider as he accepted her help and stood up, almost pulling Spencer to the ground because his energy was almost gone.

I did the same thing with Jason. I walked over and extended a hand out to help him to his feet. He gave me a small smile as if saying thank you as I pulled him to his feet. His hand was quite sweaty but I didn't really mind.

Because both boys were sticky with sweat, loose blades of grass clung to their backs like fuzz on a lint roller. It was humorous as we both giggled at the same time.

I approached Jason first as I glided my hand over his toned and muscular back, wiping the blades of grass off his skin. I felt him jump a little, not expecting the contact, but once he found out what I was doing he settled down and eased into my touch.

Spencer was doing the same thing with Toby and it was just a cute little moment to share with some friends. After she was finished cleaning him off, she gave him a playful slap on the butt as if telling him to show off his masterpiece.

I saw Jason turn around and look at me, raising his brow.

"I'm not smacking your butt, so don't get your hopes up."

I heard the boys laugh at my joke, and I swore I heard Spencer too, but that just might have been my mind trying to make it a perfect scenario.

Toby wrapped his arm around Spencer's shoulders and started to tell her all that he did to the car. Of course, they were all in super hard mechanic terms, but Spencer just pretended to understand as she smiled and nodded along.

I on the other hand, who had actually seen what was wrong with the car, wanted to understand completely what was wrong with it and what had happened.

When Toby was talking about the front of the car, I interrupted him when he took a break.

"When I was driving it here, it was smoking and making all these weird sounds. What was wrong with it?"

Toby looked at me and instantly got wide eyed, like he had forgotten to talk about that part.

"Oh yea! You got real lucky, Aria…" Toby said slowly.

I watched as he took his arm away from Spencer and pulled up the hood. He motioned for us to come next to him and we all leaned under the hood. Toby pointed to the motor and began to talk about all the valves and how important they are to cooling down the car so it doesn't over heat.

"That was the whole problem." He said at the end of his lecture. "Because the car was moving so fast and for who knows how long, the motor was already beginning to overheat. When it smashed into the pole, the cooling valves disconnected from the center, forcing the car to overheat and smoke. Not to freak you out or anything, but if you wouldn't have gotten there at that moment and drove directly here… the car would have gone up in flames…"

I couldn't believe my ears. If Spencer wouldn't have driven me around town and stopped where she did, we wouldn't have seen the crash. If I hadn't of helped Jason to his house, the car would have been engulfed in flames.

Jason would have died that day.

I took a step back from the car and looked away. I wasn't looking around at anything in particular; I was just trying to process all my thoughts, leaving my eyes to give off a blank stare.

I knew Spencer was processing everything too, feeding off my emotions and fear. She may not have liked Jason, but she definitely didn't wish death upon him.

Jason looked like he had already heard that information. Toby must have told him earlier while they were fixing up the motor along with various other things. It seemed like even now he was still gathering all his thoughts and emotions on the subject, trying to make sense of them all.

I felt Toby's hand grab my shoulder and I looked up at him. There was a warm smile on his face and I couldn't help but return it.

"Alright, enough worrying. What's done is done."

His calming voice was much needed, and I was so glad to have a great friend like him in my life. Spencer walked over and gave him a strong hug, not caring in the slightest that he was covering in sweat and dirt.

"Come on, let's go home." He said to her, kissing the top of her head.

She nodded in his shirt and pulled away. Toby turned to Jason who extended his hand in gratitude. Toby shook it with pride.

"I can't thank you enough for all your help today." He said, pulling his hand back.

We all watched as he reached into his back pocket to pull out a check book and pen.

"This doesn't even begin to show my thanks…" He continued, handing Toby the check. "And if you ever need anything, I'll be the first to help."

Toby's smile disappeared and change to a look of surprise and shock. He opened and closed his mouth a few times like he was trying to speak, but he just couldn't seem to form the words.

"…Two-thousand dollars…?"

"What!?" Spencer couldn't believe the amount of money that Toby spoke, but upon seeing the check herself, she was just as awe struck.

I couldn't even believe it myself until I leaned in closer to Toby, whose eyes were still on his new check. It was a clear, legible and signed check written by Jason DiLaurentis for two-thousand dollars.

"I-I can't accept this…" Toby stuttered, not quite sure what to say.

"Compared to what I would have spent without your help, I'd say it's a completely fair amount."

I saw Toby and Jason lock eyes. I could tell my Jason's assertive stare that he wasn't going to accept no for an answer, and eventually, Toby did as well. This time, it was the Cavanaugh who extended their hand for Jason to shake.

"It was my pleasure." He said, finally smiling and looking over to his girlfriend. "How would you like to go to a nice and well-deserved dinner?"

Spencer was trying to hide her blush by looking down at the grass, but we could all tell by the growing smile on her face that she was incredibly thankful to have a man like Toby.

Taking that as a yes, Toby wrapped his arm around Spencer and waved goodbye and left in silence. I watched as they jumped in Toby's pickup truck and drove off, looking like the perfect couple.

Meanwhile, I just could not get over the fact that Jason had nonchalantly given Toby two-thousand dollars in the matter of thirty seconds. I didn't take my eyes off the spot were Toby's truck once rested.

"I can't believe you gave him two-thousand dollars…" I breathed, still awe struck.

I couldn't see it, but I felt like he was rolling his eyes. "Like I said, it could have cost me more if I went to one of those money swindling mechanics…"

I felt his hand rest atop my shoulder in a reassuring manner. "Would you like a drink?" He asked, giving my shoulder the subtlest tug towards his home.

"Yea… sure." I mumbled, trying to regain my wits.

He gestured for me to go first as he lead the way into his house, holding the screen door open for me as we walked in.

"Feel free to take a seat where ever." He said kindly, moving over to the fridge to grab some drinks. "Water okay?"

"Yes, that's fine." I responded, sitting down on the sofa.

His living room was a comforting shade of pale yellow with a nice crème sofa and a matching recliner. There was a large flat screen TV perched on the wall with speakers on all sides. There was a window to the right of the room as well as one on the left side of the television. A few family photos were placed in frames around the room, but I didn't get up and look to see what they were.

I heard Jason's footsteps coming toward my direction. He set two glasses of water down on the coffee table in front of me and plopped down the floor, stretching out his legs and leaning back onto his hands. I figured he didn't want to stain up his couch with oil and grease.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked randomly, giving me his signature stare.

I smirked. "You mean you can't read my mind when you make that face?"

My teasing expression caused him to look down and smile, trying to hide his amusement. Eventually he looked back up into my brown eyes, not bothering to try and hide his joyous expression anymore.

"No, I can't read your mind." He confirmed.

I giggled and leaned back onto the sofa, thinking about the events over the last 48 hours. My smile turned into a frown as my mind began to race with scary thoughts and depressing facts.

Jason saw how my face fell and instantly looked concerned. He was trying to look tough and hide it, but it was just enough for me to notice.

"Aria… what's wrong?"

I really didn't want to tell him what was bothering me, but I also didn't want to just leave him sitting in the dark, unable to see in the room without me being his flashlight.

I took a deep breath and tried to word my question wisely, hoping that he wouldn't be offended when I asked.

"…Why did you have to drive after you drank last night?"

I watched his face turn serious. I knew from that question forward, it was going to be another long night…

**And Chapter 11 complete! Next one is going to be another intense one!**

**Review Review Review!**

**-Cheyenne**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here we are again everyone with another chapter! Can you believe I'm already posting my 12th chapter, it seems like yesterday I just started writing... **

**Anyway, I would love to thank cristinaheartowen, Friend to All, mariabrieva, BearyFunny66, CrazyLittleLiar, Stelenton2, HeyItsKamille, jariafan15, Jaria2.0, SweettFace, prettylittledesire, NUNUBAYBE, livingdream98, flightyartist, Jenn23, syracellivnalg, DreamerGirlxo, Siretha, and holl2712! Love you all!**

**Enjoy Chapter 12!**

**-Cheyenne**

The downward cast of his eyes wasn't necessarily a surprise for me, but the unnerving silence was just becoming too much. The last few days have been overwhelmingly dreadful, but it was time to get some closure on the questions that were swarming around my head.

I watched as Jason rolled his head back so that he was facing the ceiling. His eyes were closed like he was a mix between tired and stressed, which I'm sure he was. I could tell he was trying to choose his words wisely, trying to find all the appropriate answers, but I gave him a jump start.

"Look at me." I said, tired of my question going unanswered.

My tone was assertive yet not angry. His eyes locked with mine instantly and his signature stare was on his face, but this time he didn't look like he was trying to read me. It was more like he was focused on us and only us; the world around freezing with everything else.

"You're not a stupid guy, Jason." I began again. "You went to an Ivy League college and turned your life around, now helping other kids get through the same mistakes you made."

He looked down at the ground and sighed deeply. I knew he was letting my words sink in, but he soon looked back up at me when I started to speak again.

"You know better… I don't know what possessed you drive after downing a dozen bottles!"

I wasn't really angry, but bringing up the amount of alcohol he consumed did bring up some sore wounds. My tone of voice rose at the end of my sentence but I wasn't trying to be vindictive, but more to show my frustration with his choices.

He leaned forward off the palms of his hands and pulled his knees toward his chest, leaning his arms on them to be more comfortable.

"I was out looking for someone." He said blankly.

"Who?"

He didn't answer me. I could tell by the serious expression on his face that he didn't want to talk about the issue any time soon, especially right now after a long day in the sun.

I on the other hand, wanted answers and I wanted them now. After what happened last night, I felt like Jason and I bonded in a way that was more romantic than friendly. Since he initiated the contact, I assumed he was the one that wanted to become closer. By not giving me straight forward answers, I felt like he was just kicking me while I was down. I mean, I did help him after his car accident, didn't I at least deserve some answers?

The look on his face now was telling me otherwise.

I gave him this look like I was expecting him to tell me. "Well?"

All he did was shrug his shoulders, looking down at the floor absentmindedly.

"Fine." I said, feeling the anger now start to pulse through me.

I pushed myself off of his couch and proceeded to walk my way over towards his door. I did not have the patience for his distant answers right now and it was only a fifteen minute walk to my house from here. It was only around seven o'clock by now so it wasn't too late at night to be walking home alone, even if it did give me the creeps.

As I was walking over to his back door, I heard him jump from the floor behind me.

"Wait!" He yelled. "Where are you going?"

His voice seemed hurt and confused, but I didn't really care.

"Home. You don't want to give me answers, then why should I stay here?"

My challenging tone was one I picked up from my mother. She was always very good at getting what she wanted when she made her voice change character like that. I prayed internally that it would work as well as it did on my father.

"Just hold on a minute!"

I felt a strong hand grab my arm and stop me in my tracks. It was a tough and sudden grab, but it was still gentle and soft at the same time that didn't hurt at all.

I whorled around and locked eyes with the man who stopped me. His eyes looked icy and serious, but his other facial features told me that he was more afraid that I would leave.

Jason's hand never left my arm but once he was satisfied I wasn't going anywhere, he eased his grip.

"Don't leave…" He said softly, running his other hand through his hair. "I-I'll tell you everything you want to know."

It shocked me that his voice was so soft and timid, like this was a painful moment he didn't want to bring up. I could tell it hurt him to see me walk away, but I wasn't quite sure why.

"No more short copouts?" I asked seriously.

He shook his head no. I relaxed my arm so that it would hang loosely by my side and he let go of it, freeing from his warm grasp. He stepped out of my path so I could lead the way back into the living room.

I had a déjà vu moment when I took the same seat on the couch and he went back onto the floor in front of me, leaning back on his hands.

I locked eyes with him once more. "Okay, why did you decide to drive after you had some drinks last night?"

My voice was calm but apprehensive, hoping that he would actually keep his word and give me more than just a few small phrases.

He sighed. "I got a text message from someone saying that they knew who had sabotaged Alison's show." I nodded for him to continue. "They told me to go to some address a few blocks down from where I crashed and I would get some answers… obviously I never made it there."

His eyes looked genuine and truthful. I knew Spencer would have bombarded him with intense and incriminating follow-up questions, but I kept them simple.

"Who did you get that message from?"

He shrugged. "I don't know… they just called themselves 'A.'"

Oh my God. I felt my heart sink into the pit of my stomach. Actually, it felt like it fell the whole way down to my feet. I felt my pulse go through the roof and I suddenly felt like I was in a sauna. The sweat began to form on my brows and my palms were feeling sticky with fright.

I quickly leaned over and put my head in my hands, trying to calm myself down and process the information that Jason was telling me. 'A' had been the one to get him out of the house.

It was obvious that 'A' was out for blood, only this time it wasn't mine… it was Jason's.

"Can I see that text?" I asked hastily, reaching my hand out to him.

I watched as he reached into his back jeans pocket and pulled out his Droid. He unlocked his phone and went straight to his messages, opening the one I was interested in. When the smooth metal hit my fingers, I pulled it close to my face and began to read.

_You want to know who ruined your precious little sister's show? Then go to Stanford Circle and you'll get some answers. –A_

The message was received a few minutes before Jason crashed, meaning he went straight to his car. I couldn't even believe the text I was reading at this point. 'A' had accounted for almost everything, besides Spencer and I being around that approximate area.

I looked up from his phone to see that he was still looking at me intently.

"Jase…"

I tried to speak but I wasn't quite sure what to say. It wasn't like I could just come out and tell him about 'A', that would get him in even more trouble. I knew he was going to be asking questions soon and I don't think I have the heart to lie to him.

His piercing blue eyes were on mine but I couldn't bring myself to look back into them. I gently set the phone down on the couch and placed my head in my hands once more. My breaths seemed hitched like tears were threatening to fall, but I wasn't able to let myself to succumb to those emotions again.

"I'm sorry, Aria…"

I heard Jason's soft, exposed voice and the tear ducts in my eyes seemed to be working overtime. Only a few drops of the salty liquid escape the lids of my eyes and trailed down my cheek. Hearing how sincere and vulnerable Jason was right now was heartbreaking.

But another part of me was building up inside; a part that had been docile for a long time.

Anger.

All I could think about was how 'A' was practically the puppet master of our lives, pulling and tugging on our life strings in any way they pleased. We were helpless under their grasp and could only watch in horror as they tempted with our fate.

I think what really got to me was that Jason was on his last string that night, and 'A' had planned to cut it.

I snapped my head up to look at his, not bothering to hide the fact that I was sheading silent tears.

"You could have died last night, Jason!" I yelled, feeling my anger surge through me. "And all you have to say is sorry!?"

I could tell he wasn't expecting my sudden outburst because he flinched back as soon as my loud voice hit his eardrums. I quickly stood up off his couch and slammed my hands down at my sides dramatically. I let out a huff of air and began pacing around the room, not really sure of what else to do to calm down my body.

I didn't see him, but I heard him shift on the floor uncomfortably.

"Don't you get it!?" I screamed, hating that he didn't have a response. "You were set up to die last night and you just walked right into their trap!"

I tilted my head up towards the ceiling in an attempt to settle my feelings back down into my inner core. The heat I was feeling was mixing with the cold and corrupted thoughts about 'A.' This wasn't some mind game anymore… this new tormentor was playing with our lives instead of our brains, and they were damn good about it.

As I was deep in my troubled thoughts, I felt a pair of strong, warm arms wrap about my body and forcefully pull me in close.

My face practically slammed into Jason's chest and his tight grip around my upper body was almost suffocating. Yet, in a very strange way, it provided me with comfort. It wasn't a hurtful squeeze or one that was meant to be painful, but more of an intense, reassuring hug.

"You don't think I haven't thought about all these things…?" He whispered, running a hand over my hair. "When Toby told me about the motor overheating, it really hit me that everything I ever cared about could have been lost in a matter of minutes…"

As his hands rubbed my back and my head I could feel the tears forming again. I don't know if it was his comforting grasp or the life-or-death conversation we were having, but it felt secure enough to let my emotions flow freely.

Everything I had been holding in over the last few days seemed to hit me in a wave of emotion. I forcefully wrapped my arms around his waist to pull him closer to me, if that was even possible. I felt him give a tight squeeze in return, gliding his hands over my shoulder blades and lower back.

"You could have died…" I sobbed into his chest, still trying to process my words.

I felt his hands rise to my cheeks, pushing my face up to look into his eyes. They were a bright shade of blue and looking intense as ever. He didn't look mad per say, but it was an expression I couldn't quite decipher.

"Aria… don't you get it?" He said, his face only an inch from mine. "I wasn't worried about myself in that car… I was worried about you."

His voice was frantic as if saying that if I didn't get this idea through my head now, he might explode.

His grip on my face was soft but strong at the same time. It relaxed just enough for my head to lean down just the slightest, and I felt his soft lips graze my forehead for a gentle kiss.

"I would have felt so responsible if something would have happened to you because it would have been all my fault… I could never forgive myself if you were hurt because of my stupid mistakes..."

His lips never left my forehead as he spoke, softly rubbing my skin with every word that escaped his mouth. I felt his hot breathe pierce through my skin and it was like he warmed up my entire soul, filling me with his spirit.

I knew this was a tough and intense moment for the both of us, but in a strange way, I was thankful for this point. Without all of this drama, Jason and I would have never made it to this stage in our friendship, if that's even an appropriate term.

"Come on." He said, moving me towards the couch.

I gripped his midsection tightly, not wanting to let go, scared I might be taken back into the cold reality that I knew so well.

He gave me a small push towards the sofa, not once taking his hand away from my back. I reluctantly obeyed but when I noticed he stepped out in front of me to sit down first, I was a little confused. I watched as he rested his back against the side, not caring that he was staining the couch with oil and dirt, and stretched out his arms and legs, welcoming me into his grasp.

I gave a shy smile and sat down into the gap between his left and right legs, feeling his arms wrap around me once more as I settled down.

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked soothingly, his mouth inches from my ear.

All I did was give a subtle nod. I was feeling better now that he was letting me relax within his warmth. I had no idea how much I craved it until I was wrapped up, feeling his security wash over me.

"Can I ask you something…?" He questioned hesitantly, his hand stopping its path through my hair.

I turned my head around and looked at him curiously, waiting for him to elaborate and explain. I watched as he ran his fingers through his hair, letting out a deep sigh.

"Did I…" He started, thinking of his words. "Did I cross any boundaries these last few days… I mean, in terms of our relationship…"

His voice was once again shy and timid, like it was embarrassing for him to pose this question. Internally, I knew this conversation was going to arise sometime, and I knew it was going to be awkward, but in all honesty, I'm glad his chose this intimate moment.

I thought about my words for a second or two. Had Jason crossed that invisible line? I personally didn't think so, which was surprisingly was easy to admit. On the other hand, I knew if the other girls found out about the growing bound between us, there was going to be one hell of a lecture.

I completely turned my body around, making sure that I could get a complete look at the man holding me.

Jason looked like a lost puppy, not so much in a childish way, but more like he had never been down this road before.

I gave him a small smile and put my hand on his cheek, gently rubbing my thumb across his skin.

"You didn't cross the line, Jase." I said softly. "I don't exactly know what is going on between us right now… but nothing so far as scared me away from you."

"Even the accident?"

His voice was soft and scared. I could tell this was a large breaking point with him in coming to terms with the drinking.

"Even with the accident." I confirmed.

I saw his body relax and a small breath of air exited his nostrils like he had been holding it in, anticipating my answer.

I kept my hand on his cheek for a few moments and he soon put his hand on mine, embracing the touch our skin against each other. He looked calmer now, instead of on edge and tense. I knew this had to be a new experience for him since no one in Rosewood really trusted him, so to have someone around and be so close to his presence had to feel like a breath of fresh air for the older man.

"Why aren't you afraid of me? Everyone else is…"

Again, his voice was practically pleading for answers.

"I may not have known you for that long, but I can tell you're not as bad as everyone thinks you are." I spoke, giving him a reassuring expression. "I don't think that you are some monster, hiding away in your house using all your power to solve your sister's murder… I just think that you're trying to cope with all of the pain, but you just can't seem to escape from it…"

I saw him nod like what I saw saying is exactly how he felt, like I had just described all his feelings into a few phrases.

For once in his entire life, Jason DiLaurentis knew what it felt like to be understood.

"I can't do this without you, Aria." He said solemnly.

I gave him a few small nods. "I know… I don't plan on letting you either."

I heard him chuckle for the first time in a long time. It was so empowering that he could relax under my words and feel more alive, like I was the only thing to make sure he was happy.

I felt him shift his body into a more comfortable position and place his arms on my hips, trying to read my mind with his stare once more. I don't know why I wasn't put off by it like everyone else. I think maybe it was because I was captivated by his deep blue eyes rather than afraid of them.

He was soul searching to see if I was truthful.

"You read my mind yet?" I teased, causing him to laugh.

"Nope… still working on it."

The atmosphere changed for a lighter one as we both just enjoyed each other's presence. We never really further discussed our 'relationship', but we were comfortable have the other there to talk to.

At this point, that was more than enough for us.

I saw his facial features just change the slightest bit, less than a fraction of a second for me to catch. The average person may not have caught on, but after staring at his almost flawless form, it was hard for me to miss.

I raised my brow in a questioning manner, showing that I saw his train of thought shift. He squirmed in his seat for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. Whatever he was going to say, he had been thinking about for a long time.

"Who's 'A'?"

Shit.

That was absolutely the last question I wanted him to ask me. I was thinking about what I would say to him if the question were to ever arise, but I was never able to come up with a suitable answer.

The look on his face was simple but curious. I knew that he knew I was nervous and that this question was going to be one in which it would have an elaborate answer. Now it was my turn to shift in my seat.

I really didn't want to lie to him, not after the long and soulful conversations we had. Both Jason and I had been a lot these past few weeks, especially these last few hours. I didn't have the heart to lie to him, but then again I couldn't betray the girls and tell him the truth about our unknown tormentor.

"I…" I started, trying to gather my thoughts. "I don't know…"

It sounded stupid when the words escaped my lips, but then again it wasn't a lie. I had no idea who this person was, what they looked like, if they were male or female or if there was more than one!

I saw his brow quirk up like he was expecting something else, knowing in his heart that I wasn't telling him everything I knew. I didn't want to betray the trust I had just earned from him, but I couldn't give him any more information on the subject.

Just as Jason was about to ask a follow up question, the sound of police sirens filled our ears, catching our attention. The strange thing was, it just wasn't one or two police cars, but more to the range of seven to ten. The red and blue flashing lights shined through Jason's curtains and into the living room, radiating off our skin. The whole dynamic of the room changed as the squad cars flew by at rapid speeds.

We both instantly jumped up and ran over to his front door. He pulled it open with ease and I was the first one out, stepping onto his front porch, Jason close behind me.

The police cars just seemed to keep flying by and were soon followed by a news truck and camera crew. I looked over to Jason who seemed to be just as confused as I was, not quite sure what it could be.

"You don't think…" I started, not wanted to finish the sentence.

"No, the police searched all over this town… it can't be Alison…"

His voice was hard but still unsure. In a town like Rosewood it seemed like anything could be possible, but that was the only logical thing that crept into my mind.

I saw a crowd of people start to form a few streets down. Dozens of people seemed to be jogging over to see the spectacle that was unfolding, whatever it could be. Jason and I stayed put, fearing the worst.

I saw Spencer's front door opened as she stormed out with Toby hot on her heals. She must have noticed Jason and I standing next door, because before she got the whole way off her front porch she yelled over to us.

"What's going on!?"

I stepped onto his driveway and looked over at Spencer.

"I have no idea!"

Jason took a few steps towards me and tried his best to see what was going on without getting off of his property. I watched as Toby stepped onto the main street to get a better look than any of us could, crowds of bodies obscuring his vision.

He was still dressed in his greasy clothes, not having time to get a shower and go out to dinner like he had planned early. His shirt was still incognito and I'm sure the colder evening air was biting onto his skin.

I could tell by the look on his face when he turned around at all three of us that he looked worried.

"Isn't that near Emily's house?" He said, voice filled with fear.

Spencer and I immediately turned to each other and before we could even process what was going on, we started sprinting.

The boys didn't even have time to think before we shoved past them and took off down the busying streets, not giving them the change to stop us or ask any more questions. Once they regained their wits, I could hear their own fast paced footsteps trying to catch up to us.

My feet seemed to be carrying me like I didn't even have a body. They were moving so fast that it felt like I was flying, my worry for Emily increasing with each passing second. Usually, it would take a good 10 or so minutes to walk down to Emily's street and get to her house, but Spencer and I were moving so fast that it seemed to only take two or three. We never slowed down our speed as the crowd began to thicken around the Field's lawn.

"Do you see her!?" Spencer yelled, voice cracking with worry.

"No!" I answered, pushing several people out of my way rudely.

It was like the world around us stopped and everything was slowly moving around us. The noises and shouts of people were too much for Spencer and I to focus on, obscuring our senses in an attempt to find Emily.

I could faintly hear Jason and Toby calling for us at the beginning of the crowd, just now reaching where we were, but neither of us paid attention.

"Aria! Spencer!"

We turned to the right to see Hanna frantically trying to look over the heads of the crowd, waving at us to come over to her. We pushed and shoved our way through the crowd to get closer to our friend, Hanna meeting us half way.

"Where's Emily?" Spencer said panting.

"I don't know. I just found you guys."

I saw Caleb maneuver his way over to Hanna and place a strong hand on her shoulder, not wanting to lose her again in the crowd. It wasn't long before Jason and Toby reached us as well, then practically doing the same thing.

"We have to find her." I said sternly, looking around in all directions.

I was so hard to find anyone in this sward of people. Even with Jason and Toby's towering heights, they couldn't even see past a foot in front of them. I felt Jason's grip tighten on my shoulder as the crowd seemed to get more and more dense, afraid that I was going to get lost.

It seemed like we were standing there for hours just trying to find our missing friend or even her family, but it was only a couple of minutes. The heat from the crowd and my pulsing heart caused me to start sweating. I was getting more and more claustrophobic as more people started to pile in.

"NO!"

The loud piercing voice caused every single person in the crowd to silence.

"Emily!" All of us girls said at the same time.

Not even caring about the boys, we sprinted our way through the crowd of people, pushing and shoving them out of our way to get to our friend. We followed her distraught voice and loud sobs for what seemed like forever.

We were able to get to the front of the crowd where the police tape was wrapped across Emily's lawn. There seemed to be a dozen police officers and detectives swarming around the crowd, keeping them behind the tape. Many of the officers seemed to be coming from the back lawn and into the front, a solemn look plastered across all of their faces.

Without even thinking, we all ducked under the tape and raced over to Emily, swarming her with love. I heard the cops yelling at us to go back but Mr. Fields was screaming at them to keep us with her.

It wasn't long before Caleb, Toby and Jason joined our little group. I'm sure the detectives were getting agitated now that so many people were flooding into there scene, but the look Jason and Toby gave the guards was incredibly persuading. Their piercing blue eyes and determined expressions seemed to halt the policemen in their tracks.

I felt Jason's presence behind me, just barely touching the back of my shirt with his chest. I could tell he was standing so close to provide me some comfort, and I was incredibly grateful for him at this moment.

When I saw the scene unfolding in front of me, I pulled my hands up to my mouth in horror.

Detective Wilden was leading the crew of police men out of the back lawn. Two men in navy blue jackets were carrying a stretcher, the shorter of the two in front. The back of their jackets read 'Coroner' and by the upset look on their faces, they didn't seem pleased to be here.

On the stretcher was a small body, covered in a ghostly white sheet. The shape of the body under its cover resembled that of a woman, her petite frame easily noticeable. I felt Jason tense from behind me. I knew he feared the worst; that under that sheet might he his dead sister.

As the coroners were trying to step around the police tape, one of them almost tripped, causing the body under the sheet to shift and jolt.

An all too familiar hand fell out from under the sheet; her ghostly white, pale skin haunting us from beyond the grave. A nice, blue tribal bracelet hung from her fallen arm.

"MAYAAA!"

**And Chapter 12 is a wrap! **

**I'd like to know what you guys thought about this chapter****! Reviews are much appreciated!**

**-Cheyenne**


	13. Chapter 13

**Wonderful WONDERFUL reviews this week! I hope everyone is happy with how the story is progressing thus far and are enjoying the suspense and romance along with this story!**

**Special thanks to holl2712, BearyFunny66, prettylittledesire, Siretha, ihavealifeiswear, Friend to All, DreamerGirlxo, CrazyLittleLiar, GreenEyedBlondie07, NUNBAYBE, mariabrieva, Jaria2.0, jariafan15, CiaraRose1143, brittany, Jenn23, sara, jessieca, castlefringereader, and texasforever23!**

**All of these reviews and others were amazing! This is the most I've gotten so far, keep 'em coming! Enjoy Chapter 13!**

**-Cheyenne**

"MAYAA!"

Emily's cries of pain and sorrow rang through my ears like nothing I had ever heard before. It was a sound I hoped that I would never have to hear again.

Her sobs seemed to be uncontrollable now as she hunched over, trying to ease the pain in her heart, even though we all knew it might never go away.

Upon hearing the now dead girl's name, Mrs. Fields ran up to her daughter from their front porch, tears now starting to fall from her own eyes. I could hear the soothing words her mother was trying to say, but they were barely audible under the shrills and cries of her distraught daughter.

Everything around me seemed to move in slow motion as Maya's limp arm dropped from under the sheet. Her once mocha skin tone now looked like a bed of snow, lazily swinging as the coroners walked toward the ambulance, even though it wasn't going to be needed. Dead girls don't need to be rescued.

Mrs. Fields was trying to shield her daughter from all the horrors of seeing her dead lover, as well as the swarming press and camera crews that were trying to get in closer for a better look. Mr. Fields was yelling at everyone standing around, trying to give his family some room to grieve.

I was so transfixed on the body of one of my friends, that I didn't take notice when Caleb seemed to randomly burst off, leaving Hanna to hug Emily and cry together. He ran over to the news van and sneakily crept inside, going unseen by the crowd of people who were too focused on the spectacle before them.

Toby's jaw seemed to be on the floor, his eyes almost as wide. Spencer was in tears, seeing her friend be carried away in a body bag. Sure, we weren't as close to Maya as we were to Alison, but she was still a close friend who we had come to know, and it was a very hard hit. I could tell Toby wanted to comfort his girlfriend, but he was still in shock as well, unable to make his body move.

I could hear Emily screaming Maya's name over and over again, hoping that she would somehow come back to life and give Emily a running hug, followed by an intimate kiss they had become all too familiar with. But all of us knew that wasn't going to happen.

For what seemed like the one hundredth time today, my eyes began to water with severe and upset emotions.

"M-Maya…" I choked out, just now processing everything at once. "...Maya…"

Seeing Maya disappear behind the dark, metal doors of the ambulance, the pain hit me like a tidal wave.

Maya was not going to respond. She would not walk again, say a funny or inappropriate joke when we all needed it most. She would never sing songs in the car with us, or dance around Hanna's house in the middle of the night after a stressful school day. She wouldn't get to go with Emily to our Senior Prom or laugh at all the people who didn't have dates. She would never grow up to raise a family, or have little kids of her own.

No, Maya would never get to do any of those things. She was dead.

"N-No… Maya no…"

The tears were now following like waterfalls down my cheeks, thinking about everything Maya would miss out on now that she was gone.

"NOOO!"

My voice bellowed out into the night sky, letting all my feelings of despair pierce the town of Rosewood like a knife. Spencer and Hanna both joined me in our pained screams for our fallen friend, hoping that if we kept doing it, all our pain would disappear.

We all knew it wouldn't.

I could feel my knees start to wobble and my body becoming heavier. I felt myself falling to the ground, not caring if all the pain would consume me whole. I felt a pair of strong arms wrap about my body before I could fall to the ground, pulling me up right again. My body was weak and unable to stand; the only thing keeping me up was their secure grasp on my upper body.

I kept sobbing for Maya to come back to us, praying to the all mighty God that it was all a dream and the pain would be over as soon as I woke up, but nothing happened. The pain just relentlessly pulsed through my veins, sending more screams of sorrow out into the night.

"Shhhhh… Aria, Shhhhh… I'm here." I heard a voice say. "Everything's going to be okay…"

Jason's calming voice entered my head like a song from Jesus. I was so immensely upset and still ached for the return of Maya, yelling and sobbing into the night, but his repeated, reassuring words provided me some comfort in knowing I wasn't alone.

Toby was cradling Spencer who had fallen to her knees. He was sitting beside her on the ground, holding her tired and distressed body in his lap, letting her cry onto his shoulder.

"M-Maya…" I continued to sob, unable to say anything else.

"I know, I know…" Jason's soothing tone was the only thing that was keeping me from passing out right now, guiding me back into the real world even when I wanted to escape from it.

I saw a man walk out with Maya's bicycle, covered in dirt and mud like it had been buried, as well as a dirty shovel with a dark red stain on the edges.

Blood.

"NO!" I yelled, tormented by the thought of someone smashing my friend with a dirty old shovel, crushing her skull with their anger and rage.

"Aria, stop!" He yelled, grabbing the back of my head. "Come here." Jason twisted my body around forcefully and pulled me in close to his chest so I was facing away from the scene. "Don't look at it… It will only make things worse…"

His hands glided over my hair, rubbing my scalp and calming down my nerves. He kept his hand on the back of my head at all times, making sure I would never turn around to look at the carnage and upset myself even more.

Hearing the other girls cry from behind me cause the tears to feel never ending. The news crew began to swarm around us, forcing the police to push them back behind the tape, but they seemed relentless.

They were shouting questions about Maya, bringing the memories of her back into the front of my mind.

"Make it stop…" I cried into Jason's chest. "Please, make it stop…"

Jason pressed his hands tighter against the back of my head as well as my lower back, pulling me closer to him. The mixed smell of oil and cologne was oddly comforting, and I didn't want to back away from it any time soon.

I felt him place a soft kiss on the top of my head, not caring who saw us or who was looking. Knowing that he didn't have to hide his feelings in a time of need like this was amazing. It was something I never got to experience before.

"I'm trying, babe. I'm trying…"

He used his body as a way to shield me from the ever forceful paparazzi, making sure to turn me out of their line of focus so I wouldn't have to deal with all the dreaded interrogation.

"Back the hell off me!" I heard him shout as a news reporter grabbed his shoulder.

The force of his body snapping around to get the hand off his shoulder was fierce, but he made sure that I was tightly in his grasp so that nothing could get to me. He was my brick wall that was protecting me from the intruders around us.

As the same man was walking up to Jason again, he paused mid-question, looking down at his microphone curiously.

"What the-?"

"You're not going to get very far with your story now, are you?"

Caleb's voice caught Jason's attention as he looked up to the top of the reporter van. The expert in technology had successfully hacked into the news electrical database and disabled all of their portable equipment, which included their cameras and microphones. He was sitting on top of the van with a computer in his lap, smiling deviously at all of the news anchors.

Even with all of their equipment gone, most of them stayed in hopes that somehow, their technology would turn back on so they could pick on the most recent Rosewood story. I felt like we were pieces of meat getting torn apart by vultures.

"Get them out of here!" Mr. Fields shouted, pushing a news reporter off his front porch.

I heard Caleb run towards us and pull Hanna to her feet.

"Come on, Han. It's time to go." He said, trying to pry her away from the sobbing Emily.

"E-Emily…"

"Will be okay." Toby said to Spencer, picking her bridal style off the ground. "You shouldn't be here to see this. Let's go home."

I felt Jason start to pull away from me and I began to panic, the warmth and security of his body escaping me.

"N-No!" I sobbed, gripping the back of his t-shirt tightly.

"I'm not leaving, Aria." I said, soothingly, continuing to rub my hair. "But Toby's right, we shouldn't be here."

I finally felt him pull away slightly but kept an arm firmly on my lower back, keeping me close to him as he pushed the large crowd of people out of his way. His overpowering dominance was immense and people seemed to want nothing to do with him; not even the press wanted to step in his way. I was almost positive he had his Jason face on, but my vision was too blurry with tears to see clearly.

Caleb and Hanna walked away from the direction the rest of us were going, most likely heading to the Marin household. Toby was carrying Spencer back to his apartment, not wanting her to be alone for the night since her family wasn't home from work yet.

I wasn't even paying attention to anything along the way. I just assumed Jason would take me somewhere safe, away from all the horrible images of my newly dead friend, but I knew that was unrealistic. No matter where we would go or how much I tried, Maya was never coming back, and the thoughts of her where imprinted in my brain forever.

"Careful, Aria!" He said, catching me as I almost tripped on a sewer grate.

I was stumbling all over the place, not because I was tired, but because I wasn't in the right state of mind to process any other thoughts besides the ones of Maya. Her cold, limp arm was tattooed into my mind like a bad scar, taunting me with its presence.

Jason's arm around my back was the only thing keeping me walking in a kind or straight line back to the house. He never let go of me as we walked up to the front porch, and to my surprise, he rang to doorbell.

Instantly, a short, brown haired woman answered the door hastily, giving off a very worried expression.

"Aria!" The woman breathed, almost panting like she ran to the door.

I looked up at her and felt the tears begin to pour through once more.

"M-Mom?" I asked, still unsure if it was her. And once she stretched out her arms, calling me to her, I burst out into sobs. "MOM!"

I was so weak and shaky that she practically had to catch me as I ran into her awaiting arms. Her small frame seemed to engulf me with warmth and love as she rubbed my head tenderly and kissed my cheek several times.

"I was so worried." He said, squeezing me tighter. "I'm so sorry baby…"

She continued to kiss my head and hug me for several minutes, just letting me cry into her shoulder and enjoy the calm serenity of my mother's presence.

Mom soon took notice that Jason was still standing at the door, a hand still stretched out towards my body slightly like I might fall over at any second if my mom were to let go of me.

"Jason…" She began. "Thank you for bringing her home. Please, come in."

My mom released me a little and moved to the side, allowing Jason to step through the front door. He stood there waiting for my mom to lead us into the living room where my father was looking panicked, and surprisingly, Mike had a similar look on his face.

"Are you okay?" My dad asked, jogging up to me and wrapping me in his fatherly embrace.

"M-Maya's… Maya's…"

"I know sweetie, I know." He said, kissing my forehead. "You don't have to say it."

I continued to sob into my father's button up shirt, not worrying about so stupid I looked crying to my parents. I had never felt this kind of pain since the day Ali went missing, only this time, I knew for a fact that Maya was dead; it was not just a possibility.

Mike was looking down at his hands, obviously sad at the fact I was crying like I was a small child again. I heard Jason shift uncomfortably from behind us, and I looked away from my dad to look at him.

Those bright blue eyes I once knew were changed with paler and sad ones, barely able to keep their spark. It looked like he was starting to form bags under his eyes, most likely from all of the stresses and incomprehensible sadness that loomed over our heads. His beard was starting to grow in just barely, giving him a start to a scruffy look. He was still wearing his stained jeans and wore no t-shirt. I thought I saw him shiver from the cold.

"Jason…" I said, making sure he was still there like my mind might be deceiving me.

He gave me the smallest of smiles, telling me that he wasn't going to leave my side unless instructed to.

As if on cue, my father spoke.

"I think it's time to let Aria rest and be with her family… if you don't mind."

My dad wasn't trying to be rude, just fatherly and assertive. I did in fact appreciate the idea of just being with my family, but then again I really didn't want Jason to leave either. It felt like he was the one who kept me safe this whole time, so why did he have to leave? Would I feel just as safe?

Probably not.

I watched as his face fell slightly, but he still kept his shoulders up and respectful, not wanting to show his disappointment.

"Of course." He said stoically.

"I'll walk you out, Jason." My mother said quickly, giving me a small smile.

I watched as they walked toward the door and out of my sights, leaving me with my dad and brother. I saw Mike give me this look like he wanted to come and hug me, but was too afraid. The thought loomed in my mind that Mike could have done this, that he could have killed Maya, but I knew him better than that.

Mike may have been working with 'A', but he wasn't a murderer.

What I didn't see was that Mom kindly walked Jason to the front door, opening it up for him. As he was just beginning to step outside, she stopped him.

"Jason?" She called, forcing him to turn around and look at her. "I don't know what exactly is going on with you and my daughter… but you watched over her tonight; I saw on the news before the cameras shut off."

Jason looked down at his feet, unsure of what to say. Truth was, he didn't know what was going on with him and I either, but by the look on his face, he didn't mind it one bit.

"I wasn't going to just leave her there." He said, looking back up into my mom's brown eyes.

She smiled. "I know."

Jason reciprocated that small smile before turning back and walking out the door, the cool air nipping at his bare skin.

As Mom was about to close the door, he called back to her.

"Mrs. Montgomery…?" He said, shyly rubbing the back of his head with his palm. "Would you tell her to call me or something… so I know she's okay…?"

My mom silently took pleasure in knowing how nervous Jason was about asking that question, feeling the protective mom gene race through her body. She may not have trusted Jason completely, but if I saw something in him and if he was acting this caring, he couldn't be all that bad. After all, she didn't know much about him to judge off of, only the mistakes he made a long time ago during his years in high school. Now that Rosewood was changing its face, it seemed like the towns people were too.

She sent him a small smile. "How many times have I told you... Call me, Ella."

Jason couldn't help but let out a small, breath of a laugh. He took that as Mom's way of saying she would give me the message. She gave him a small wave goodbye which he returned, shutting the door once he walked off of our sidewalk and onto the street.

My mom came back inside and gave me another hug.

"Come on, honey. We'll have a family night in the living room."

My mother took my hand and lead me to the sofa, sitting me next to Mike. I knew that he was part of 'A' team, but at this point, he was still my brother and I wasn't going to let that affect me, at least not today. Plus, I hadn't had the chance to ask him about it, so maybe it was all just a mistake? I knew I was trying to be positive, because in reality, all the facts and evidence pointed to Mike helping out my vengeful enemy.

I leaned against the back of the couch and watched mind numbing TV with the family for a few minutes, not bothering to really pay attention. Everything seemed to remind me of Maya, and I couldn't stop the tears that were still forming in my eyes.

All I could think about was Maya as I fell into a nightmare filled sleep, dreaming of dead bodies and murder weapons…

**Sorry this chapter was so depressing, but I wanted to show how powerful 'A' really is!**

**Please review!**

**-Cheyenne**


	14. Chapter 14

**Ohhhhh a drop in reviews... hopefully I'm not boring you guys! But... spoiler alert! Next chapter will have a LOT a questions and drama, so be prepared!**

**Special thanks to jariafan15, mariabrieva, Jenn23, CrazyLittleLiar, 7, BearyFunny66, Friend to All, FNL-33fan, Siretha, texasforever23, and HisSecretLover18! All of you are so amazing, especially those who have been reviewing and giving me feedback since day one!**

**Enjoy chapter 14!**

**-Cheyenne**

The nightmares that plagued my mind with horrid images of death and loneliness seemed to come with every second my eyes closed, begging to be blessed with some form of sleep. Unfortunately, over the last few days, nothing of the sort happened.

Every time I closed my eyes, Maya's face appeared before me, only she wasn't the happy, bubbling girl we all knew and loved. She was white, ashen, her face looking fearful and scared even in death. I could almost even feel the cold radiating off her lifeless form through my dreams, causing me to shiver awake into the cruel reality that was my life.

I hadn't done anything over the last three days. My parents tried to talk to me about what had happened, saying that voicing our emotions was always a good way to feel better, but in my opinion, it only made things worse.

I wondered what Maya St. Germain's life would have been like today if someone hadn't kidnapped her soul. It would most likely be full of ignorant bliss, just enjoying her loving bond with Emily, sharing kisses and pleasant hugs throughout their time together.

Poor Emily, I thought, sinking down further into my couch, somehow hoping it would swallow me whole. I had heard from Spencer and Hanna over the last few days, but Emily seemed to be grieving in solitude. Granted, we girls really didn't have much to say on the subject, other than sharing memories of our beloved Maya, but Emily just seemed to be desolate, locked away in her room.

I had done the same thing for the majority of my stay home, taking some 'personal days' as my mom put it, off of school. They were happy if I came out to grab an apple or use the bathroom. When I finally came out of my room today, plopping myself down on the hard, old couch cushions, I swore I heard them gasp, not quite sure how to handle it.

"Are you sure you'll be okay alone?" My mother said, skeptical about leaving me alone for the day so she and Dad could go to work.

I just gave her a forced smile as if saying I would be alright, even though I didn't feel that way. She kissed my dried, knotted hair on the top of my head, telling me that she loved me before exiting the house, leaving me with just my thoughts.

I had received several messages over this time of grieving, but I barely responded to any of them. Most of them were from the girls in the form of a group message, asking each other how we were coping. Most of us gave short, incomplete answers, each individually praying Emily would respond as well, but we had no such luck.

I had also received a good amount from others as well. Noel Kahn asked me how I was a few times, but I never had the urge to respond and eventually, he just stopped texting me. Old friends of mine like Sean Ackerd, Hanna's old boyfriend, and Paige McCullers, who use to play on my basketball team but now swims competitively with Emily, sent be heartfelt texts as well. Again, I never responded.

And of course, there was Jason DiLaurentis. He had texted me at least a dozen times, checking in on me, making sure I was okay and coping well. Unlike the others, I did respond to his messages. He was actually there at the scene where it all happened, comforting me when I needed him most. I may not have had much to say, but he deserved to have a few answers.

I looked over at the TV to see yet another news report on Maya's murder. Seeing her smiling, school photo on that little box in the corner of the screen sent a saddened shiver down my spine. Seeing her so happy reminded me of all the fun times we had as a group...

"_You guys are such pansies." Maya said, taking white her t-shirt to reveal her pale yellow bikini top. "It's not even that big of a deal. There are trees everywhere."_

_Hanna and I stood cautiously on the creek's muddy bank, watching Maya strip down to her skimpy bikini and put her hands on her hips, making a pouting face with her plump bottom lip, hip popped out to her right side._

_The newest member of our group was trying to get us to jump into a freezing cold creek in the middle of winter, wanting us to go swimming at an ungodly hour of the night. I don't know why we had all agreed to meet her here, standing on this cold bank, shivering as the air hit my bare skin_

"_Maya, this is insane." Spencer said, curled under a large oak tree. "It's only about forty-five degrees out here."_

"_Don't be such a sour puss, Spence." She challenged. "It's something new and exciting!"_

_Maya thought that doing anything out of the ordinary was 'fun and exciting', but even being an individual myself, this did seem a bit crazy._

_We all watched in awe as Maya smiled and leaped high into the air, throwing her legs and arms up high before plummeting back down into the chilly water. Just thinking about how it must feel in the water made me shake, but when Maya's wet head emerged from beneath her self-made waves, she looked just fine._

"_Come on! It's really not bad!"_

_She began to do a lazy backstroke through the water, the cold not bothering her one bit. _

_I saw Emily form a small smile on her face, amazed at her newly found girlfriend. I had never seen her so in tuned with someone before Maya moved to town, and they seemed like a perfect match. Emily was careful and quiet, while Maya had an edgy, outgoing personality to her._

_They were like two doves destined to fly together for eternity._

_Emily shrugged her shoulders and slid off her clothes, revealing her Rosewood High swim uniform, before jumping in after her girlfriend. I saw her head emerge with her mouth in an 'O' expression. I could tell the cold water rattled her bones, but she was taking it like a champ._

_Seeing them so happy, I joined in. _

"_What the hell." I muttered, taking off my sweatpants and black jacket before jumping in._

_As the water washed over me, at first it felt like I was being suffocated, the ice cold liquid sucking all the air out of my body, but once I reached the surface, I caught my breath and was able to maintain myself, but just barely._

_Soon enough, Spencer joined in, her bright red bra shining in the moon light. Finally there was Hanna, who was very against this idea, hating swimming in general, but soon enough, she jumped in as well._

_All of us swam for a good two hours, laughing and playing childish games like Marco Polo and Chicken. It felt good to have these moments again after such stressful months. _

_Maya seemed to bring a breath of fresh air to everyone she encountered. It was no surprise her laughing face and gorgeous smile forced an upward curve to my lips. _

_She was like a brand new ray of sunshine after a never ending thunderstorm…_

_DING DONG_

The sound of my doorbell snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to the door and back over to the TV, realizing the news was long over and an episode of the Simpsons was playing in its place.

I groaned as the doorbell rang again, but I still didn't feel the urge to open it. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone just yet, even though I told myself that I had to go to school tomorrow. But still, I had one day of sorrows and anguish left for myself.

"Aria! It's us… open the door!"

Hanna's muffled, sassy voice echoed dimly off of my family's old wooden door. I let out a loud sigh. I didn't really want to see anyone, but at least it was just the girls, so I felt a little better about getting up.

I sluggishly slothed my way over to the door and unlocked it, pulling the handle open lazily.

Hanna was dressed in her usually preppy outfit, her makeup done just right with a designer purse handing off her arm. Even though she looked fashionable, I could tell by the sad expression and subtle bags under her eyes that she was just as tired as I was.

Spencer was right behind her, wearing a medium green v-neck shirt and a pair of skinny jeans, stylish boots around her ankles. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail and she too looked tired and sluggish, not trying to mask it as well as Hanna.

What surprised me was what was attached to Spencer's arm.

Emily was clutching onto Spencer like she would fall down if she were to let go. She was barely dressed in her oversized sweatshirt and swimming pants, which made a whooshing sound when she walked. Her sneakers were old and beat up, now a muddy shade of blue and crème. Her hair looked like it had been straightened, most likely by Hanna, and she had cover up under her eyes to hide the bags.

"E-Em?" I breathed, not believing she was at my door.

She just looked down at the pavement absentmindedly, not really believing herself that she was here either, out of the comfort of her own home.

"Noel Kahn's annual beginning of the school year party is today." Hanna stated, bursting her way through the threshold of my door and into my house. "We were all invited."

"Wait, what?"

I was so confused. I knew that Noel hosted a party every year at his extravagant family mansion, complete with a swimming pool, billiard table, and riding stables, not to mention acres and acres of land and woods to hold a huge party. His property even extended to the lake where we all use to swim, bringing me back to the blissful memories of Maya. I didn't remember getting an invitation from him, but then again I wasn't at school and I stopped reading his texts after the sixth one.

His parties were known be the best and most epic in all of Rosewood. The Kahn's were loaded with money and their parents always seemed to be out of town, allowing the two brothers to host annual parties full of naked girls, drinking and sloppy make-outs.

All of those things didn't sound too appealing.

"Han, you're not serious are you…? I asked skeptically, as she lead the rest of us back into my living room, making themselves comfortable.

Hanna grabbed an old Entertainment Weekly magazine off of the coffee table, flipping through it unimpressed.

"Yes. I'm dead serious." She said, tossing the articles back down on the table. "This has been hard on all of us, especially you, Em."

We all looked over at Emily, who had her head towards the ground with tears in her eyes. Spencer had one arm wrapped around our crying friend's shoulders and the other on her bicep, rubbing it gently in soothing circles.

"I think it's time we started to heal, instead of dwell on the past. Us sitting around moping is not going to bring Maya back. She was always one to want to go out and do things… why should we stop that now?"

For once in her life, Hanna Marin sounded philosophical and intelligent. She was always the best as comebacks and snarky comments, but it was rare for her to get in touch with a sentimental side, letting her feelings flow. Hearing her speak words of wisdom was empowering.

I looked over at Spencer, who was still holding Emily, and she looked up at me. She nodded as if silently saying she agreed.

"Hanna stopped at my house and I thought it was a good idea too. We grabbed Emily and her mom practically forced her out of the house, saying it would be good for her." Spencer explained, giving Emily a small, but unreturned smile.

I thought for a moment. Maybe it was a good idea, getting out of the house and going to a mind numbing party. I mean, what could be a better way to get your mind off of things than tons of alcohol and foolish dancing?

I crossed my arms and leaned against the couch, acting as if I was thinking really hard, even though I agreed with Hanna and Spencer.

"Sure." I finally said. "I could go for that."

"Good." Hanna replied, practically bouncing herself off the couch. "I already called your date. He'll be at my house in a few hours."

As if showing my surprise with my body language, my hip seemed to slip off the side of couch, causing me to fall backward. I was barely able to maintain my footing as Hanna swept by me, walking nonchalantly to my door, being followed by Spencer and Emily. Neither of them tried to help me regain my balance.

I watched them, confusion splattered all over my face with my hands slightly in the air.

"What do you mean date!?" I yelled, chasing them out the door.

Spencer and Emily kept walking to Hanna's car and hoped into the backseat, leaving the beautiful blonde to turn around and look at me.

"I'll explain later." She spoke calmly, flicking her wrist. "Grab and nice party outfit and lets go."

Without saying another word, she sat down in the driver's seat, waiting for me to grab my things. Still puzzled, I was barely able to scramble upstairs to my room and put together a decent outfit. Noel's party wasn't fancy or anything of that nature, but I did want to look decent.

I grabbed a simple, but classy, black dress that I knew hugged my curves. It was your stereotypical cocktail dress but it was long enough to make it not look over dramatic for a party. It was tight and fitting but it wasn't uncomfortable in any sort of way. I knew Hanna would have makeup and hair products for me to wear, as well as shoes, so I just grabbed my dress and my cell phone before sprinting down the stairs, almost falling near the end of the flight.

I left my mom a simple note saying I was with the girls. She was okay with me going to the Kahn party every year, as long as I was safe and didn't abuse the privilege.

Locking the door behind me, I ran out to Hanna's car, getting annoying with all of the beeping she was doing to make me rush. She never had any patience.

I jumped in the passenger's seat, giving off a foolish smile, excited to begin my life again.

* * *

We all arrived at Hanna's, greeting her mother nicely before bounding up the stairs into her room, slamming the door behind us. We had exactly three hours to get ready, which sounds like a lot, but when you have four girls and one upstairs bathroom, things can get a little hectic.

Hanna clapped her hands, rubbing her palms together quickly and letting a devious smirk wash over her lips.

"Okay girls… let's get crackin'!"

We all instantly started on Emily, trying to get her to laugh and encourage her to look excited, but we only got a few, minuscule sounds which sounded more like dry coughs. Hanna picked out a nice dress from her closet, Spencer did her makeup, and I took the liberty of styling Emily's long and absolutely flawless hair. Even after a long few days of poor hair care, and years of pool chlorine damage, it was still looking glossy and shiny as ever.

Once Emily was mostly done, besides a few last minute touches, we began to work on ourselves, friendly chatter passing between us. And thankfully, Em even joined in a few times, bringing an almost forgotten smile to my face.

"So…" I began discreetly, brushing Spencer's light brown hair. "Who's my date again?"

Spencer was sitting in front of the mirror and I was behind her, able to see the other two girls from our reflection. When I posed this question, no one made a sly face or snickered, they just continued working on prepping themselves.

I felt stupid as if the answer was so obvious.

"Well Jason, duh." Hanna said, waving her brush in the air dramatically.

Oh. Well maybe it was obvious.

"You texted, Jason?" I asked, not quite believing they even spoke to him.

"I called." Hanna clearified. "I knew Caleb and Toby were going with Spencer and I, and Paige Mc-something-or-other asked Emily the other day. So, that only left you. I figured you would want Jason to come along…. Was I wrong?"

Was she wrong? I looked up in the mirror and locked eyes with Hanna. She didn't look worried, but more puzzled that I didn't seem super happy about it. She was standing with her hip cocked to the side, her dress options lying on the bed in front of her. She looked and waited for me to respond.

I hadn't seen Jason since we discovered Maya's body. We had texted a few times, but it was only a few sort phrases and then I didn't bother to keep the conversation going. They were all mostly about Maya and how I was handling it, and no offence to him, but it wasn't something I wanted to keep dwelling on.

Truth is, I was glad Hanna asked Jason if he would go with me. Sure, she probably demanded that he go, but it was still the same idea.

The only thing that bothered me was their sketchy relationship with the older man.

"You guys…" I thought of my words. "Don't mind him going with me…?"

Spencer scoffed and I watched as Hanna threw her hairbrush as Spencer's arm, barely missing me by a hair, no pun intended.

"Ow!" She said, rubbing her arm.

"Anyway," Hanna began, picking her brush from the floor. "We don't mind. We gave Toby and Caleb a chance, so Jason should be no different."

I didn't know when Hanna became the voice of reason in this group, but I wasn't about to complain. I knew they were going to be cautious with Jason, still unsure of his actions and shady past, but it was comforting to know they would have my back.

I smiled and continued to work on Spencer's hair, excited that Jason was going to be here in less than an hour…

* * *

I emerged out of the bathroom in my little black, strapless dress. Like I said earlier, it hugged my body in all the right places, coming to rest about my mid-thigh. I borrowed a pair of sparkly, silver heals and matching necklace from Hanna, making sure to adjust it just right. I had some cleavage showing, but not enough to make me look like one of Eric Kahn's sluts, and I had on a sterling silver bracelet my dad bought me in Iceland.

I walked back into Hanna's room with my wavy hair flowing behind me. Hanna was wearing a nice, one shoulder, pale pink dress with simple back heels. Spencer and Emily were both in blue, Emily's being the darker of the two.

It looked like Paige and Caleb had arrived as well while I was preparing in the bathroom. Paige was in a nice peach, flowing top with faded jeans and boots. I knew she was never one to get really fancy, but she still managed to look nice. Caleb was wearing a V-neck band t-shirt under an unbuttoned black jacket. He too was also wearing jeans, but they were medium washed and his hair was tied in a very short, loose ponytail to keep it out of his face.

"Woahhh now sexy lady." Spencer said, looking me up and down.

She motioned for me to turn around in a circle, showing off my entire look.

I felt self-conscious. "What… too much?" My voice was timid and apprehensive.

"Just right."

Hanna gave me a reassuring smile, her boyfriend, who was standing next to her, nodded his head and gave me a thumbs up. Spencer smiled too and even Emily looked impressed, getting up off her seat to check her make up one more time.

I felt the blood rise to my cheeks and I felt a tad bit better about my outfit. I did happen to grab in within a matter of seconds, being rushed by an impatient Hanna in the car.

_Ding Dong_

Everyone turned to Hanna's bedroom door like they could see who was downstairs. We all heard Mrs. Marin open the door and greet the person who had politely knocked. Their faint and muffled voices could be heard, but we were unable to make out what they were saying.

"Spencer!" Ashley yelled. "Toby's here!"

Almost at the exact same time, Toby's footsteps calmly trotted up the Marin's carpeted stairs, getting louder and louder the closer he came.

He emerged in a nice blue shirt which made his eyes pop, along with khaki pants and blue sneakers to match his top. His muscles were popping out of his shirt and I didn't have to look at Spencer to know she was eyeing him up and down.

He was carrying a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Spencer blushed as he walked up to her with a large smile playing on his lips.

"I hope you're feeling better." He said, handing her the fresh smelling bouquet.

All Spencer could do was try to hide her blush by looking down at the ground, taking the flowers in her hand. Toby kissed her cheek quickly and we all smiled, even Emily let a small one escape her lips.

Toby was the type of guy that cared about everyone around him. Being an outcast most of his life, he knew the pain and struggles that people had to deal with in the town of Rosewood. He walked up to each of us girls, enveloping us in hugs as if telling us he was there if we ever needed him. I noticed that he held Emily for the slightest bit longer, whispering something into her ear. She let a small sob escape her lips, but she gripped Toby tighter, thanking him for whatever words he had shared.

He was like an other brother to all of us, and after he and Caleb had a nice little bro-hug, a light hearted conversation about past Kahn parties floated throughout the room.

Apparently, there was a massive keg stand at the Kahn party of 2008. Eric convinced an underclassman to drink over a gallon of beer in under a minute. I felt nauseated just thinking about it...

_Ding Dong_

Again, the doorbell interrupted our peaceful conversation as we listened to Mrs. Marin's business heels click on the hardwood floor. I could just image her stylish walk which she always did, much like Hanna's.

There was small talk at the front door, similar to one she had with Toby. I could see Hanna rolling her eyes at her mom's politeness, much like any teenager would do.

"Jason's here!" She yelled from down the stairs.

Paige looked at the clock and quickly jumped up from her seat on the bed next to Emily, who was looking better now than she did a few hours ago.

"We should get going guys, now that everyone's here." She said. "It will take a while to get to the Noel's house out in the woods.

Everyone nodded and I lead the way down the stairs since I was closest to Hanna's bedroom door. They all followed behind me, dates on their arms, while I was about to meet mine at the door.

I'm not going to lie, I could feel the butterflies in my stomach start to flutter. I really didn't know why I was beginning to feel this way, considering it was only Jason who I had hung out with before, but I was still nervous to go down and meet him. This could really be considered our first official 'date.' We never discussed our relationship in depth, but we both knew there were feelings there. We had always just been around each other, an unspoken connection drifting between us, but now it was becoming more and more official.

When we were to arrive at this party, he would be thought of as my date. It internally made me smile.

When my heels hit the third stair, I could start to see the outline of Jason next to Hanna's mom. As I moved further and further down, his body became the only thing in my line of vision.

He was wearing a simple, off red t-shirt with three buttons on the neck, leading down his chest, each unbuttoned with his white undershirt just barely peeking through. Blue jeans were resting comfortably on his hips and were being held up by a brown leather belt, matching his shoes. His hands were in his pockets looking very casual, a stand of blonde hair drifting into his face like it always did.

I couldn't really tell, but I swear when he saw me, his eyes got wider. I hoped it was a good thing.

"Hey." I said, reaching him at the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey." He responded.

We didn't have to say much to have a conversation; we were just using our eyes. His piercing stare was reading into my soul again, asking if I was ready for this party after everything had happened over the last few days. I just gave him a small smile to show I was alright.

"Have fun tonight." Mrs. Marin said as we all began to walk out the door. "Drive safely and be careful!"

Hanna just nodded absently as gave a wicked smile as she held her Mom's Escalade keys in her hand. Apparently, Mrs. Marin let her borrow it since I would fit more people, but Paige offered to be the designated driver, knowing Hanna wasn't going to be completely sober by the end of the night.

We all started to pile in Hanna's mom's car while Spencer and Toby took his truck, unable to fit after all the seats had been filled. Toby lead the way to Noel's and Hanna revved the engine, applying lip gloss and smacking her lips together.

"Let's get this party started!" She yelled, stepping on the gas, jerking us forward.

I looked over to Jason who was seated next to me. I gave him this half fearful, half excited look. All he did was laugh and place a strong hand on my thigh, his fingers silently grazing over my skin. He honestly looked excited for this, like he was happy to be going out and doing something other than sitting in his empty house all day.

Hanna blasted the music as Macklemore's 'Thrift Shop' came on the radio. I heard her to start to sing and bounce in her seat, trying to dance even though her seat belt was restricting her. Caleb just rolled his eyes at his unpredictable girlfriend and laughed before looking back towards the road.

I rolled my eyes and sighed, my breath unheard over the loud chorus. But as if reading my mind, Jason squeezed my leg and leaned over to my ear.

"You ready to party?" He breathed, his hot breath hitting my skin.

I shivered and felt the butterflies start to swarm once more in my abdomen. I blushed and smiled, looking out the window to deflect my gaze from Jason's.

Maybe all I needed to get my mind off of Maya had been by my side all along…

**Noel Kahn's party will be next chapter! Any ideas on what will happen? Please review and tell me your thoughts!**

**-Cheyenne**


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay ladies and gentlemen, this is going to be a long chapter, but hopefully it turns out as good as I think it will! You'll get to see a new side of Jason and the others, hopefully you like it!**

**Special thanks to BearyFunny66, Raven176, butterfliesandbracelets, cristinaheartowen, CrazyLittleLiar, Jenn23, mariabrieva, AnisaJoseph, Friend to All, (unknown guest), scubadiver500, jariafan15, (unknown guest), B3llaBaby1, Jaria2.0, Charlotte, and NUNUBAYBE!**

**Enjoy chapter 15! It's a big one!**

**-Cheyenne**

Even before Hanna pulled up to the Kahn's million dollar Victorian mansion in the outskirts of town, I could already tell this party was going to be the biggest one to date. Expensive cars and limousines we lined up on the curvy path leading to Noel's house. There we even valets who were moving some cars into the grass, just so other neighbors wouldn't complain about the streets being clogged up with Hummer's and BMW's.

Hanna waited until the guides told Toby where to park, seeing as which he was in front of us with Spencer by his side. Hanna made sure to park right next to him, splashing her mom's tire in a mud puddle. She cursed under her breath, but her anger seemed to phase away quickly.

Once again, before getting out of the car, Hanna pulled down her sun visor and looked in the tiny mirror, fluffing her hair to make sure it looked just right.

"I'm pretty sure if your hair gets any fuller, people will think you just got fried in an electric chair."

Hanna's face made a shocked expression as she playfully punched her boyfriend in the arm.

"Ow!" Caleb cried, opening up his car door before he could get hit again. "I was just busting your balls, Han!"

Emily, Paige, Jason and I maneuvered our way out of the back seat and onto the dewy grass of Noel Kahn's enormous front lawn, our shoes barely sinking into the dirt.

"Yea well, when I bust your balls… it won't be figuratively." Hanna pretended to hold Caleb's manhood in the palm of her hand and squeeze really hard, her pink nails digging into her palm.

Caleb winced painfully just imagining the awful feeling. He turned his head away and crossed his legs, almost like just the thought of having his package ruthlessly squished was physically hurting him. I even noticed Jason wince a little at the thought, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Ohhh don't tell me I missed a cat fight!" Toby said, walking up to the group. He made an odd sort of cat noise and clawed his fingers in the air, causing me to giggle but Hanna to roll her eyes.

"All I heard was something about someone's manhood." Spencer said, leading us up to the raging party.

Hanna shrugged nonchalantly. "Just reminding my good friend here of the pain his little pals could feel if he ever hates on my fashion sense again."

She dug through her purse and pulled out a small pack of grapes, most likely not wanting to eat the fattening foods at the buffet table. Hanna forcefully crushed one between her front teeth; the juices squirting out of her mouth, making a loud popping sound.

Toby about fell over at the thought of something else popping. Caleb and Jason were cringing too, and it was one of the first times I saw Jason cringe at anything.

Even though the boys seemed to be in mental pain, the girls and I couldn't help but laugh as we hooked our arms together, walking in stride up Noel Kahn's uphill driveway.

"You ready for this, Em?" I whispered in her ear, my arm securely looped around hers.

I felt her tense and look down at the ground. But soon enough, she pushed her chin up forcefully and let out a painful smile, pulling Paige and I closer to her for comfort.

"Let's do this." She said, her eyes locked on the massive amounts of people just a few feet away.

"That's right." Hanna joined in at the end of our female line, a huge and eager smile playing on her lips. "Because you're Emily Fields… and you are fabulous."

For the first time all night, Emily let out a large and genuine smile. Sure, she may still be overwhelmed with sorrow and sadness, but she knew deep down inside that Maya had lived for things like this. She wouldn't have wanted Emily to miss the greatest party of the year, even if she couldn't be there to support her.

I could hear the music blasting all the way down from where we parked, and it got increasingly louder with each step we took. I couldn't tell from earlier, but it was a Nikki Minaj playing through the several speakers spread throughout the yard.

When we neared the edge of the huge pool of people in the dancing area, I was finally able to take a good look around.

The Kahn's humongous front lawn was set on a slope, the house siting up on the top where the grass leveled out. People were mainly clustered off to the left of the lawn where Noel had the dance floor set up, along with a corresponding DJ and dozens of speakers. There were couples and friends off to the right, enjoying their time together, having a nice conversation and having a few drinks.

Towards the left side of the house, the back edge of the pool was noticeable along with the rainbow lights that seemed to be glowing from under the water. The path leading back into the dense woods and off onto the lake's shore was just beyond that. I couldn't see it from where we were standing, but I knew from past visits.

In the back lawn were a dozen or so bonfires, beautiful flames dancing in the darkening sky. There were groups gathered around most of them and there seemed to be a keg or two dispensing alcohol so they wouldn't have to walk the whole way to the front to get more.

I looked over to my right to see the huge buffet table resting beneath a large oak tree. It was filled with food, snacks, alcohol and other refreshments, just in case some people were not in the mood to drink.

"Oh… my… God…" Hanna whispered almost inaudible over the loud speakers. "I'm definitely in heaven…"

I rolled my eyes and felt our line of girls stop once we reached the top of the hill, making sure to take in every little piece of Noel Kahn's party. Sure, we had all be here before at least once, but the shear monstrosity that was the Kahn family household was just overwhelmingly incredible that we always had to catch our breaths and take it all in.

"I forgot how much money Noel actually had…" I breathed.

I felt the arms on mine tense. I looked over to Hanna along with everyone else to see what she was freaking out about. Her eyes were wide and her body was rigid, giving her an off sort of expression.

To my surprise, it wasn't a fearful kind of look, but more of an excitedly overwhelmed joy.

"I'm so ready for this!" She finally yelled, grabbing Caleb's wrist and sprinting off into the distance.

I watched her struggle to run in heels which were sinking into the dewy grass. She eventually got frustrated enough that she paused, took them off, and through them aggressively over her shoulder and back to us.

"I'm going to put these back before anyone steals them." Paige suggested, grabbing Hanna's heels before looking back to us. "Anyone else?"

I looked over to Spencer who just shrugged her shoulders, bending down and slipping off her shoes. Soon enough, Emily and I were doing the same thing, letting our feet breath and wiggling our toes in the mushy grass.

As Paige walked off, Spencer grabbed Toby's hand and tugged him towards the crowd of people.

"Dance with me!" She yelled over the sound.

Being the type of guy Toby was, he just smiled and nodded, allowing his girlfriend to drag him over into the mess of people. It wasn't long before even Toby's massive frame was lost in the swarm, unable to be seen.

Paige walked back up and we looked simultaneously at Emily, a smirk crossing our faces. She grabbed Emily's hand and started to walk off toward the crowd as well, spotting Hanna who was casually grinding on Caleb, who just looked like he was swaying to the music.

"You need to dance." I said, giving her a small shove.

At first, she sent me a glare, but soon enough, she was running off with Paige onto the dance floor, just becoming another person in the crowd.

Jason's hand touched my shoulder and I jumped a little, almost forgetting that he was behind me. I felt him bend down and get really close to my ear, his lips practically brushing against my skin. His breath sent shivers down my spine, and I didn't have to look at him to know that he was smiling.

"I'll go grab us some drinks." He said, almost seductively in my ear.

All I could do was nod dumbly as his hand slid from my shoulder, all the way down my arm and onto my hand.

As he was walking away, I watched him easily maneuver through the party people, not bothering to look back at my dumbstruck face as I was still frozen in place, feeling his left over hot breath on my ear.

I shook my head just the slightest, regaining my thoughts. The song that the DJ was playing was a rap song I didn't recognize, so I figured it would be best to just sit down and wait for Jason to get back, not wanting him to get lost trying to find me.

I found an empty spot on the top of the hill where a few people were relaxing, meaningless conversations passing between them.

I could see the sun setting from the top Noel Kahn's property, amazed and jealous that he could see this view every day. My little neighborhood was just too densely packed with streetlights and houses to be able to see anything as magnificent as sunsets. The red, orange and pink lights gave the party some what of a majestic feel, calming my soul to it's core.

"Look's amazing, doesn't it?"

I jumped as Jason sat down beside me, two red solo cups resting in his large hands. He had his beautiful smile on his face as he handed me a cup, taking a sip from his.

"That was fast." I said, not believing he got through the crowd so quickly.

He chuckled. "I've been to these a few times."

I nodded, understanding what he meant. I was always forgetting that Eric Kahn was in Jason's grade and they graduated together, so of course he would have go to more than just a few of his party's back when they were in high school.

"When was the last time you went to one of these?" I asked, taking of sip of beer.

He leaned back on his right hand and towards me. Goose bumps rose on my skin knowing he was getting closer to me, not that I would ever admit that out loud.

"I think the last one I went to was Eric's graduation kegger." He said, a cheeky grin plastered on his face. "I'm not going to lie… I don't really remember much of that night."

He let out a dark chuckle. Half of it sounded like he was enjoying that memory as a carefree high schooler, but the other half felt like he was ashamed, not wanting to speak of anything drink related.

I looked into his eyes to see that they were still that bright shade of blue and his lips were still in an upward smile.

"Well, I hope you'll be able to remember at least part of this night." I said, giving him a friendly shoulder bump.

He smiled. "I planned on it. I wouldn't want to forget a single second of this night with you…"

I felt my cheeks flush and the goose bumps start to wiggle their way back in. It had been a long time since I had felt this cared for. Sure, there was always my family and friends who would look out for me and say sweet things, but ever since Ezra and I didn't work out, Jason had been the only guy to really acknowledge me on a romantic level.

I heard the beat of the last song fade away into the distance, signaling for another song change. I knew most of the music from tonight was going to be hip-hop and rap, but when 'Cruise' by Florida Georgia Line came on, my heart sped up.

"Ahhh!" I squealed like a preteen girl. "I love this song!"

I grabbed his arm and jumped up forcefully from the grass, practically dragging Jason along behind me.

"Come on!" I shouted, trying to make him move faster so I wouldn't miss anymore of the song.

I pushed and shoved the group of people so I could get us into the middle of the crowd. I was never much of a country person, but there were a select few songs that I loved, and this was one of them. I could hear Jason shouting behind me, telling me to slow down, but my ears were so muffled by the noise that it was barely audible.

I saw Toby's large frame first in the middle of the crowd. He was holding onto Spencer's hips while she was dancing with Emily and Paige. Hanna and Caleb were right next to them, clapping to the rhythmic beat and smiling like there was no tomorrow.

I reached out and grabbed Spencer, knowing that she was just as in love with this song as I was. She whipped around and smiled at me, larger than I have seen her do in a very long time. Her dress seemed to be a little dirty and crinkled, most likely from the crowd of people, and her hair was disheveled. But she didn't seem to mind about any of that one bit. Even when I pulled Jason into our little group, her happiness didn't falter. Despite their differences with each other, Spencer seemed to be on cloud nine, happy to get away from all the drama and dance her ass off.

Because the people were as densely packed as close to the DJ as they could get, Jason was forced to huddle next to me, his warm, large body pressing up against mine. In most cases like this, I would be extremely awkward, but the sheer joy that was pounding through my veins as well as the lyrics to this song raging through my ears, it could have been a giant tarantula next to me and I wouldn't have cared.

I looked up at Jason who had this nervous, but incredibly cute smile on his face. Someone who was trying to move behind him, accidentally shoved him in my direction. Not wanting to topple over me, he grabbed onto the sides of my hips for leverage, his body knocking into mine.

All I did was laugh and grab his hands, bringing them off my waist and into mine. He raised his brow curiously and leaned his ear towards my mouth, trying to hear what I had to say.

"Dance with me!" I yelled with a smile, pulling him in with the group.

At the chorus play to the song, I swung his hands back and forth in mine, trying to get him to dance. He rolled his eyes at first, watching the others dance like fools around us.

Hanna looked over at Jason and pushed over, shaking Jason's arm assertively.

"I know you can dance white boy!" She yelled.

I grabbed Jason's other arm and we were both tugging on his limbs, trying to get him to dance. He started off slow, swinging his hips back and forth, but with a little push from the rest of the group, he was dancing just like the best of them.

Hanna went back to Caleb and I felt Jason grab my waist against, only this time, he was twisting me back and forth.

"If I have to dance like a freak then you're at least going to do it with me!" He yelled over the noise.

I let out a whole-hearted laugh and grabbed his hands once more, jumping and dancing with the man I was beginning to have feelings for. We both had these huge smiles on our faces, enjoying the happiness that was radiating off both of us.

As the song later went one, Jason joined me in belting out the words. I had no idea he was even interested in country music until I heard him sing each line without messing up a single word. I knew he had a Bon Jovi poster in his room, and I figured that was the closest thing Jason DiLaurentis would have ever gotten to country music.

At first, I thought Jason was nervous about dancing because he was unable to. It's not like every guy in Rosewood could be an extravagant dancer. But once the last chorus came on, he was actually doing really great moves and swinging me around. He was the one leading me.

"I didn't know you could dance!?" I said, my hair whipping around as he spun me.

He kept moving but leaned in close to my ear, his hot breath sending shivers through my body.

"There's a lot you don't know about me…" He said seductively, kissing my ear gently.

Once he pulled back, I looked up at him in awe. His eyes were twinkling and his hair was messy. He kept holding onto my hands as the crowd cheered near the songs end.

Suddenly, I heard Emily laugh and turned around. It wasn't only her that was enjoying the beat to this next song, but everyone else as well.

Psy's smash hit, 'Gangnam Style,' was blaring through the sound system. Everyone knew this was one of the silliest songs ever written, but it was just too catchy and danceable not to like.

I turned around to Jason and gave him this suggestive look. He held his arms up defensively, as if saying there was no way in hell he was dancing to this song, lucky I had him dancing to the last.

"Aria!" I heard someone's deep voice yell.

I turned around to see the host himself, weaving through the crowd of people and up to me. Of course, because of the tightly packed bodies, he ended up getting really close, invading my personal space just the slightest.

Noel wore a simply white t-shirt and navy blue swim trunks which hung nicely on his hips. His shirt was damp as well as his hair, and I assumed he just got out of the pool.

"Come dance with me!" He yelled, pulling me towards the front of the crowd where a little stage was set. "You too, Marin!"

Hanna, who was tipsy from two beers, was ready to go when Noel asked her to come up front. She was always one to be center of attention, so she was just waiting for a reason to get up on that stage.

It was almost like a chain reaction. Noel grabbed me, I grabbed Hanna, and she grabbed Emily, who grabbed Paige, who then grabbed Spencer.

The trail of girls, led by Noel, was being cheered by the whole audience. Apparently, people could only go on the stage if they were personally invited by the host, or were in his elite group of friends. I assumed this was Noel's way of apologizing to me publicly to everyone for our fights of the years, even though he didn't openly say it.

I was never one to get in front of huge crowds, their beady eyes making my skin crawl. I was so nervous and flustered when Noel helped me onto the stage. I felt my hands start to sweat and my heart start to pound.

The chorus was just about to come up, and to my surprise, Emily was the one shaking my shoulder, her body language telling me she was excited. Out of our whole group, Emily was the one who was most torn up about Maya's death, so for her to be up here and seemingly happy, it helped calm my nerves.

I shrugged my shoulders as if saying 'what the hell' and grabbed the DJ's beer from off the counter, downing it whole. I felt the buzz start to surge through me, giving me the will power I needed to make a fool of myself in front of the entire swarm of people.

_Oppan Gangnam Style!_

The chorus sounded and soon enough, all of us, excluding Noel, where doing the most popular dance in the country. I was jumping up and down, waving my arms without a care in the world. The girls and I couldn't stop laughing as we watched ourselves dance in front of all these people.

I could hear the entire crowd shout _Eh~ Sexy Lady _when the appropriate part came on. When I looked over to Jason, even he seemed to be enjoying the fact that I was dancing, shouting out that signature line along with everyone else.

The chorus broke and everyone cheered. The girls and I were laughing so hard and we high-fived. It was so wonderful to feel this carefree again.

"What the hell-?" Paige started to say.

We all looked in her direction to see what had caught her eye. She was looking down at the boys with wide eyes. It was hard to pinpoint what exactly was going on at first, but apparently, the crowd was pushing them to do whatever it was.

Noel, Caleb, Toby and even Jason, started to walk up onto the stage, swinging their shoulders back and forth, showing off their masculinity. People behind them seemed to be cheering and shouting, telling them to get up on stage and show us girls how it was done.

"This cannot be real…" I breathed, huddling over to the side of the stage with the rest of the girls.

The guys lined up, front and center on stage, just in time for the next chorus to start. We all watched in awe as they got into position.

Jason was the last one in the row, furthest away from me, but I could still see that childish grin on his face, along with the playful wink he sent me. It was almost like he was trying to show me up, not wanting to seem like the Debby Downer on this date. I didn't actually believe he was going to do it, not being able to picture the soft spoken DiLaurentis dancing on stage. But when he crossed his hands in front of him on stage, my eyes got wide.

_Oppan Gangnam Style!_

All of our jaws dropped as the guys began to dance to Psy's song, letting all of their embarrassment go as they jumped and trotted along with the chorus.

Noel was seemly the best at it, having no shame to begin with. Toby was next to him, shaking his hips when the crowd chanted it's most famous lines. His beautiful smile was looking right as Spencer, and she blushed, being embarrassed for him, even though she was the one just doing it. Caleb with his rock star looks, most likely looked the goofiest of them all. He had a smaller frame than all the other guys on stage, but Hanna seemed to find this amazing because she cheered him on.

Finally, there was Jason. He was parading around on stage with the song cascading through his body. He had the dorkiest smile on his face, looking absolutely pleased and overjoyed that he was having such a great time. Girls were shouting his name like he was a star, including myself. I watched mesmerized as his hair blew in his face, a single drop of sweat just starting to flow down is forehead.

I'm not going to lie… he looked incredibly amazing. I love a guy who's not afraid to let loose and have fun, so as soon as the second chorus ended, I ran up to him and jumped into his arms, giving him the biggest hug of his life.

I was still laughing incredibly hard so I couldn't even tell him how amazing their dance was. The crowds cheers along with my bellowing laughter was probably over whelming to Jason's ears, but as his arms wrapped around my tiny waist, picking me up into the air, I could tell he was just as happy as I was.

I could hear him laughing into my ear just like I was doing with him, causing me to laugh even harder. I knew the others behind me were doing the same thing, and it was almost time for the next chorus.

"All together?" Noel suggested as Jason was setting me back down on the stage.

We all giggled and laughed, nodding our heads in excitement. The crowd was getting louder and louder as the music neared the chorus, anticipating our upcoming group dance.

Jason was on the end and I was next to him, smiling like a fool. The line went from us two, to Caleb, Hanna, Toby, Spencer, Noel, Emily and then Paige. All of us seemed to be just catching our breaths from laughing in time, just to catch our signal to start.

_Oppan Gangnam Style! _

All at once, we started trotting on stage. The crowd was absolutely insane and I felt like I was some sort of dancing icon, like Britney Spears or Michael Jackson. It was such an amazing feeling, being adored by a crowd.

Jason and I looked over to the others next to us, laughing our heads off at this hysterically funny dance number. Toby and Hanna were really getting into it, shaking their butts and hips foolishly around on stage, not giving a damn about what anyone else thought.

When the final part ended, I felt the surge of the crowd shout and laugh along with us. The song faded out like all the other ones as a new one started. I could tell it was something by Flo-Rida, but I wasn't' quite sure of the song.

I felt a pair of strong arms pick me up from behind again and spin me around. I giggled foolishly as Jason's deep and wholeful laugh rang in my ears like heavenly chimes. His hair tickled the back of my neck and shoulders because he was so close, but it was a nice, comforting feeling.

He put me down as everyone was skipping and laughing off stage. Noel was giving everyone high-fives as we walked down the stairs and back onto the grass.

"Nice job, Montgomery!" He said, smacking my hand.

I smiled. I looked over my shoulder to see Jason and Noel staring at each other. The last time they had an encounter turned out to be a huge downfall, with Jason getting angry and storming out.

I stayed near the both of them, making sure nothing of the sort was going to happen again.

Jason's hand started to reach out, his shoulders still square and manly. Noel looked down confused, but then took his hand, shaking it with dignity.

"Nice dance moves, Kahn." Jason said with a smirk. "You're almost as good as your brother."

Noel snorted. "You're not so bad yourself."

They kept looking at each other for a few moments, eyeing the other one down with their stunning eyes. If someone was looking at them, they would probably think something was going to go down, most likely a fight, but I could tell it was more than that.

This was some sort of manly way of them apologizing.

Jason released his hand was walked back over to me, grabbing my hand in his. I wasn't quite expecting it, so I flinched at the initial contact, but I soon relaxed, intertwining my fingers with his.

"Okay, I definitely need another drink." He said, looking around for a full cup.

I pulled his hand so he was leaning down in my ear. It was hard to understand what anyone was saying over the loud music, so I brought him down closer, almost to the point where his ear was in my mouth.

"You go get us some drinks. I'm going to join the group at the bonfire." I said into his ear.

He hid it very well, but I could tell my wispy voice sent a chill down his spine, much like he did to me earlier. He leaned back and smiled, not letting go of my hand until he was completely out of reach.

When I couldn't see his blonde hair bouncing of the tops of dancing bodies, I turned to the back of Noel's house and started walking. I knew our group was heading that way after the stage, wanting to take a nice rest after our dance.

I met up with them at the bonfire which was a few yards away from the beginning of the woods. Everyone was sitting around the massive fire, including Noel and a few others who I recognized from school. I sat down next to Toby who had kindly pulled up a seat for me, as well as one for Jason when he was to get back with our drinks. I plopped down, finally letting my tired body rest. My skin felt hot even though it was cool outside, and I could feel my dress sticking to my legs because of the sweat.

Jason returned with our drinks, sitting down sluggishly next to me while running his fingers through his hair, attempting to get the random strays out of his eyes. His face was tired but shining, and his eyes were this crystal blue, gleaming in the fire's light. His muscles were protruding out of his shirt, making him look incredibly strong and masculine.

I couldn't help but stare at his gorgeous features, hoping he didn't notice.

After a few conversations around the group, Jason pulled my chair close to his with only one arm, making me feel very weak compared to him. His wrapped his arm around me and smiled, letting me rest my now disheveled head against his shoulder.

Noel looked over at us raising a brow. He leaned forward in his chair slightly, like we were far away and he was making sure his vision was clear.

"Sooo…" He began awkwardly. "Are you guys, like, a thing now..?"

I could feel everyone's eyes on me, only this time, I didn't really want them there. The mood of the conversation switched from fun and casual to completely awkward. Truth was, I had no idea what Jason and I officially were. We had never had the chance to discuss anything in depth, so the fine line between friend and boyfriend was never drawn.

I pulled my knees up closer to my chest in a nice little ball on the chair, sinking deeper and deeper into Jason's shoulder.

Jason on the other hand, looked calm, cool and collected. He never flinched at the question and his body posture never changed. He still had that content look on his face while he locked eyes with Noel, giving away nothing. He took a small sip of his beer before placing it back down into the cup holder.

"Yea…" He said with a subtle head nod. "I guess you could say that."

Sure, it wasn't the most romantic thing in the world, but my stomach was still doing flips. Instead of feeling butterflies gliding around in my abdomen, it felt like a dozen flying saucers crashing into each other. I could feel my cheeks starting to redden so I turned my head away, not wanting anyone to see how childishly giddy I was about officially being in a relationship again.

Noel just seemed to shrug his shoulders, turning back over to his friend, Mason, who was getting ready to leave.

Everyone else seemed to be getting back into their individual conversations, giving me the opportunity to look back up at Jason. He was already smiling down at me when I looked up, placing a nice, small kiss onto the top of my head.

"Soo…" I started similarly to Noel. "We're dating now?"

It sounded so awkward coming out of my mouth. It reminded me of a middle school crush where everything was juvenile and spontaneous. I sensed that he felt the weird tone in my voice and let out a small chuckle.

"Only if you would like to be." He said calmly.

I could tell there was a hint of nervousness in his voice, like he was scared I would be put off by it. We both knew there was still a lot to learn about each other, but I could tell by the caring look in his eyes that he was ready to try.

I smiled and nuzzled my face into the top of his shoulder again, inhaling the sweet smell of the cinnamon candle he had in his room as well as his cologne. It was like the perfect combination off all the things I've ever wanted, but that was just my mind being over dramatic.

I looked up with a huge smile on my face. "I would love that."

He tightened his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer to his warmth. We both calmly enjoyed listening to the others conversations, happy to have found common ground with one another.

* * *

Minutes turned into hours as the night passed on. Everyone was starting to disperse as DJ left and the fires were dimming out. Noel had said goodbye to most of his guests, but told us that we could stay as long as we wanted, finding the peaceful talks between us pleasant. Paige told us her mom had come to pick her up, unhappy that she went to such an 'inappropriate' party. She shyly waved to each of us and gave Emily a peck on the cheek, forcing her to blush as Paige walked away.

Noel waved off to all of his friends and looked around his yard. He sighed at the huge mess his place had been turned into. Beer cans and cups were thrown senselessly in the yard, trash was overflowing in the trash cans and there were random undergarments handing from his porch lights.

Noel just plopped back down onto his chair and threw another log into the fire, poking it with a stick to make the flames rise higher.

"Sorry about the mess, Noel." I said, feeling guilty about his clean up duty.

He shrugged, throwing the stick down next to him. "Not a big deal… happens every year."

Everyone relaxed after that, not wanting the nice night to end so quickly. I didn't have to check my phone to know that it was past midnight. We were the only ones left a Noel's house, the warming fire too pleasant to back away from.

We were all quiet for the next half hour, resting our tired bodies and enjoying each other's presence. I was still wrapped up in Jason's arm, his body heat keeping me a little bit warmer. The fall air was nipping at my skin, causing me to release a slight shiver.

Noel caught my discomfort and looked up.

"You cold?" He asked kindly, looking at me as well as the others. "I'll grab some blankets from the house so we can chill out here a little longer."

It was kind of odd to hear Noel Kahn be so polite and caring, but I wasn't about to complain. It was great to feel like my enemies could become my friends, even though our rough patch with Ezra.

As Noel was standing up, a twig snapped from out in the distance. Everyone turned into the direction it was coming from. At first, we all just shrugged it off, thinking it was just a stray animal lurking around at night. But, as Noel got about a foot away from his chair, there was a loud, rustling sound coming from that same spot the twig snap had come from.

I felt Jason tense up around me, his body posture leaning up in the slightest in case anything crazy were to happen.

I looked over at Emily, Hanna and Spencer. We all had the same idea looming in our heads that this wasn't a stray cat or wild animal, but it was our stalker ready to ambush us after a long night of partying and drinking.

"Hello!?" Noel called out into the night, shining his phone in an attempt to see anything. "Mason!? Kyle!?"

He took a step or two forward shining his light towards the large pine trees the surrounded the back of his house. I could see Noel's face through the light in the flames, giving his chiseled face a nice, orange glow. It looked like he wanted it to be a party straggler or one of his friends, but it still looked like he was skeptical.

"Show yourself!" He finally yelled, sick of the games.

All of a sudden, there was this blinding flash of light and a loud bang. It pierced through the dense darkness the trees created and blinded my sight. I pulled my hands towards my face in an attempt to block it out, but there was just so much. My eyes seemed to be burning and I could tell by the pained noises of the others that they were feeling the same way. Even Jason, whose arm was once around me, pulled his arms away and stood up forcefully, ready to defend whatever attack was coming.

When we all started to regain our vision, we looking out into the distance where the light was coming from. I heard Emily gasp.

There was a tall, dark and hooded figure standing within the bush of the woods. Their black hoodie was almost invisible in the leaves and only the bottom half of their face was noticeable. Their posture was slouched and rigid; they were holding up an expensive piece of artwork, seemingly from Noel's house.

"Hey, asshole!" Noel yelled, waving his right hang aggressively. "Give that back!"

Noel suddenly took off in a sprint towards the woods, chasing after a man who had broken into his house. The figure had already had a head start, causing Noel to be severely behind. It wasn't long before Toby and Caleb started racing after the man too, Toby knocking his chair down into the mushy grass because he stood up so forcefully.

I went to go stand up and help but a strong arm forced be back down into my seat, leaving me without a chance to get up. Jason leaned down right up close to my face, his arm still keeping me from standing up.

"Stay here." He said sternly, his face angry and intense.

Without even waiting for a response, Jason followed after the guys and started sprinting into the thick foliage, disappearing into the darkness.

"Oh my God…" I breathed, instantly feeling alone and scared, even though there were still three other people with me.

All of us instantly huddled together around the fire, kicking back the empty chairs between us to keep us closer.

"What the hell was that?" Hanna whispered, curling up in Caleb's jacket.

"Do you think it was 'A'?" Emily asked, shivering from either cold or fear.

Spencer shook her head and looked around, making sure no one was around. We all mimicked her reaction, not quite sure of what else to do.

"I don't think so…" She said. "Why would 'A' need an expensive picture?"

We remained silent, trying to think of what our tormentor could possibly be planning. We all knew 'A' was a devious and sick individual, but they were never one to go for money. They really didn't have a need for it. Plus, why would they take it when everyone was around to catch them, surely the guys would have taken them down by now… right?

As if on cue, my phone buzzed, signaling a new text message. At the same time, Spencer's let out a beep, Emily's sang a song, and Hanna's jiggled. We all looked at each other before shakily looking down at our screens.

"One new message…" Hanna breathed, scared to open it.

_Looks like no one is around to protect you now. I'm sure that's how poor Maya felt when I bashed her head in with that shovel._

_Oh well… everyone dies some time, and soon, so will you. –A_

From behind us, another twig snapped. We all jumped as gasped, whipping our heads around to try and see what was going on.

Another hooded figure lurked within the darkness, taunting us with its presence. This figure was smaller than the last, but still just as frightening. I felt my breathe hitch and my body stiffen.

This could not be happening. We were completely alone since the guys ran off to chase after the thief. Was this all just a plan? Did 'A' know the guys were going to help Noel?

Of course they did. Because 'A' knew everything.

I heard Emily start to breath heavy, overcome with emotions. Out of nowhere, her body jumped up and started to sprint after the man in the woods. I noticed that she had an angry look on her face, most likely trying to capture the man who killed her lover.

"EMILY STOP!" Spencer yelled, reaching her hand out in an attempt to grab her.

Of course, Emily was not going to stop. She slipped past Spencer's grip and started to chase the criminal into the thick brush. I noticed that the man standing there wasn't expecting Emily to chase after him, so when she started to run, it took him a minute to process and begin to run away himself.

"Damnit!" I curse, picking myself off the ground. "Let's go!" I started to run towards the woods where Emily had just disappeared into, hearing the girls run behind me as we went.

The dense twigs, rocks and logs were scratching against the soles of my feet as well as my limbs. I was silently cursing myself for giving Paige my shoes to put in the car. The pain in my limbs was numbed by the sheer cold and adrenaline that was surging through my veins.

I could hear Emily's face feet off in the distance, so I knew we weren't far behind her. Thankfully, even without my shoes, running in a dress wasn't too difficult. All I could think about was catching up to Emily as we ducked and dodged around fallen trees and low lying branches. I had no idea what we were going to do when we caught up to the guy who could be 'A', but there wasn't really time to think about it.

I searing pain was sent through my body as I smashed my bare foot against a fallen log, causing me to stumble and almost lose my balance. Thankfully, Spencer was right behind me and pushed me forward, helping me regain my posture and continue running.

It seemed we were catching up to Emily as a clearing came into view. I could see a thin light peeking through the leaves of the trees, guiding us out of the thorn filled hell.

I knew we were getting closer to our distraught friend, but I didn't realize how quickly. When we got in to the clearing, my feet hit something other than dirt. Slowing down, I realized that we had hit the sand that was on the shore of the lake. Emily was standing off in the distance, panting wildly looking around frantically for whoever she was chasing. We jogged up to her and tried to catch our breaths, the long run finally getting to us.

There seemed to be no one in sight.

"Wh-Where did they go…?" Spencer panted, putting her hands on her knees.

Emily shook her head and did a full 360, hoping to find the slightest clue as to where the man might be. I could tell by the saddened look on her face that she found nothing.

There was a small boat at the end of a long dock, rocking gently in the waves of the lake. There was a large, crème colored tarp wrapped around the top to protect it from rain. I eyed it suspiciously and then nudged the others with my elbow.

"Guys…" I whispered. "…look."

I pointed to the boat and we all nodded. We silently tip-toed onto the wooden panels of the dock, making sure to make as least noise as possible. My pulse was through the roof and I could hear it pounding in my ear. If this person was in this boat, we would be face to face with Maya's killer, and possibly Ali's.

The dock was extremely long, made for more than one boat to dock here at a time. It almost reached out into the middle of the lake, expanding in all directions. The wood panels were sturdy and smooth, feeling good on my aching, swollen feet.

Upon reaching the end of the boat, Spencer looked at all of us, signaling that we needed to be ready if anything were to jump out. We all stood in a defensive position, wait for her to rip off the tarp and relieve a murder.

But right as she got a good grip on the boat, the wood panels on the dock started to creak and sway back and forth, making our balance unsteady.

I pushed my arms out to the sides, trying to steady my wobbling feet. Hanna fell onto her butt while the rest of us held onto each other in an attempt to say up right. The planks started to fall one by one, collapsing into the ice cold water.

The boats engine started to roar to life as the planks around our feet gave way, sending us hurling into the frigid waters of the lake.

I was swallowed whole by the overpowering waves from the sinking dock as well as the boat racing away. The waters were so dark and cold that my muscles instantly froze up, enabling me to swim back to the surface properly. The water seemed to suck all the breath out of my lungs, causing me to panic and become extremely fearful.

I somehow managed to kick my feet just enough to get me to the surface, only for some reason, there was no room and no light when I reached the top. A large, heavy object was resting over my head, pushing me back down into the water. I was able to grab some air before I was shoved back down underwater, the darkness consuming me once more.

I repeated this several times until I was able to stay about water for a few seconds, still unable to see anything.

"G-Guys!" A voice sputtered, spitting out water.

I was barely able to decipher Spencer's drowning voice, my ears filled up with water. I couldn't see where she was coming from, but soon enough, the others began to scream as well, using the air they were able to get in hopes someone would come save us. Their sputtering and water-filled cries rang in my ears, fearing for not only my life but theirs as well.

I kicked my legs ferociously and put my hands above my head, hoping to get whatever this was off of me so I could properly get air. As soon as my hands reached the heavy, matted object, I knew exactly what it was.

The tarp.

Whoever was on the boat must have thrown it over our heads, attempting to drown us when the tarp's weight began to sink underwater.

I felt the tarp become heavier and heavier with each passing second. Tears began to cloud my vision even more as I feared for my life, listening to the gurgling and muffled cries of the people around me, almost completely covered by this overpowering object. There was no light to see anything and I felt the water start to rise above my nose. I kept kicking and kicking with all the energy I had left, but it could only do so much.

As my head submerged underwater, along with my three best friends, all I could think about was how my life should never have had to end like this…

My body froze in place, unable to exert anymore energy out of my back up reserves. I felt the unconscious darkness start to wash over me, the muffled sounds of the waving waters swimming around my ears. The noises became more and more distant, the deep water level putting immense pressure on my eardrums. I knew this was going to be the last thing I would remember before I drowned to my death...

I suddenly heard this muffled slash from off in the distance. I knew it had to be one of the girls trying one last time to save themselves, but this tarp was now pushing us further and further underwater, engulfing us with is weight.

An arm was suddenly gripping my limp arm tightly, ripping me around in the water. I couldn't see anything in this is complete darkness, but it's not like I had the energy to stop whatever was dragging me. I felt like it was pulling me further under the water, faster than the tarp was sinking. Than all of a sudden, it tugged me forcefully towards the left, speeding up with every stroke it made.

I could finally see a faint ray of light off in the distance. It was becoming larger and larger with every inch I was moving, but my mind was still so frozen that I couldn't quite process what was happening. Was I finally dead? Was God taking me with me to heaven?

A large wave of cold air hit my frozen skin and suddenly, there was air entering my lungs. I swallowed up the air like it was the first breath I've ever taken, but my consciousness was fading in and out due to the extreme cold and exhaustion.

I blacked out for a few moments until my body seemed to be dragged on shore, the dry sand sticking to my wet skin. I wasn't able to open my eyes yet or move any part of my body. Water still clogged up my lungs making it hard for me to breathe.

There were faint voices around me, becoming more audible with each passing moment, but still fading in and out with my consciousness. There seemed to be multiple, but one in particular seemed really close.

"Aria…" It said softly, or at least, sounded softly in my weak ears. "Aria... Aria!"

The yelling was making me want to flinch, but my body was too frozen to even begin to move away. The air was still evading my lungs, not able to inhale the right amount of oxygen needed to make my body function properly.

A pair of cool hands pushed down on my chest several times, forcing up water that was in my lungs to move up into my mouth. I spewed out water in a couple coughs, but there was still so much clogging my windpipe that I couldn't breathe.

A strong pair of lips smashed down onto mine, opening my mouth and forcing air into my lungs. I felt the warmth wash over my body, sending me into this spiraling coughing fit in an attempt to breathe successfully.

"Come on, Aria! Breathe!" The voice said, hitting my back with one hard hit.

Finally, oxygen entered my body, bringing me back to full consciousness.

I felt a hand grip the back of my head and prop me up on a sturdy leg. Their other hand patted my back gently, hoping that I would spit out the rest. Thankfully, it worked.

I felt that pair of hands rest me back down onto their knee, letting me gather air by myself and cough up the rest of the lake water that was trapped in my lungs. Their hand was still resting on the back of my head, while the other was tapping my face, trying to get me to come to.

"Mmmmm…" I moaned, feeling the soreness of my body wash over me.

"Come on, Aria…" The voice said softly. "…Look at me."

After a moment or two, I forced my eyes to flutter open, reveling to me light that I thought I would never see again. Once my mind was starting to function again, I could tell it was dark, but compared to the tarp underwater, it was as bright as daylight in my eyes.

I tried to move my limbs to sit up, but they were just stiff and moving sluggishly.

"Don't try to move, babe… just relax."

I looked up to whoever was talking, trying to place a voice with a face. I felt the tears come to my eyes as I looked up at the man who had saved my life.

Jason was holding me in his lap, one hand gently stoking my cheek while the other was supporting my head resting on his knee. His body was shivering and wet after jumping in after me. There were drops of water hitting my skin that were dripping off the tips of his hair as he leaned over me. His blue eyes were filled with worry and they looked slightly red, like he was about to cry.

I felt the tears start to form as I looked into Jason's eyes, realized that without him, I would have died.

"J-Jason…" I sobbed, reaching my weak arm to his shirt.

I just barely grabbed ahold to his soaking wet shirt, and he quickly pulled me up closer to him, wrapping his arms around me into his loving embrace. Even though his body was just as cold as mine, I felt warm and secure in his muscular arms, safe from anything that were out to harm me.

His hand that was on the back of my head was gently patting down my hair, bringing my face onto his shoulder and close to his. His other hand was rubbing my back, trying to generate some friction and create some heat.

"I was so scared…" He breathed silently, so only I could hear him.

I thought I felt a warm drop of water hit my shoulder where Jason's head was, but I was probably imagining it. My brain was still regaining its proper functions, so it had some tuning up to do. Plus, there was no warm water out here; everything was freezing from the cold water my body was just submerged in.

I was finally able to lift my arms high enough to wrap them around Jason's torso, giving my best attempt at pulling him closer to me. His body suddenly lifted with ease as he picked up my small frame, still keeping me secure in his tight grasp.

"We need to get them warm." Another voice said, which I recognized was Caleb's. "There should be blankets in the Escalade and we can turn the heat up all the way."

I could hear his voice shaking too. I looked over Jason's shoulder once he started walking to see that everyone was soaking wet, but alive. Caleb was helping Hanna walk with one arm around her waist. The jacket she once wore was missing, just leaving her small pink dress clinging to her shivering body. Caleb's wet locks were dangling every which way into his eyes, causing him to flip his hair more than once to clear his vision.

Toby had Spencer on his back, giving her a piggy back ride to the car. Her eyes were shut and her limbs were heavy, but I could see her chest moving up and down, showing me that she was breathing okay. Spencer was probably just as tired as I was, unable to move her aching muscles. Toby was dripping wet the whole way as well, his hair slicked back out of his face.

Noel was helping Emily similarly to how Caleb held Hanna, one arm around her lower back. His body was shaking along with Emily's as he guided her back to the car, making sure to help her over large rocks and sticks so she wouldn't hurt herself. He had to be the coldest as I noticed he was only in shorts and a t-shirt, letting the cold air whip across his skin.

I finally looked back up at Jason whose expression was overly determined. His eyes were locked on the path ahead of him, trying his best not to shake in his cold, wet clothes. He was still hugging me close, rubbing his hands on the tops of my arms and gently stepping over anything that was in his path.

My mind was still completely unable to process what had happened, but the memories were slowly flooding back to me, each painful moment drilling into my aching head. Jason let out a long shiver, bringing my body closer to his. All I could do was nuzzle my head into his chest, right by his heart, and kiss it softly, hoping that in some weird way, he would become instantly warmer...

* * *

After a good fifteen minute walk, Noel's house came back into the clearing. I heard Caleb sigh with relief and his helped Hanna back onto the soft, dewy grass.

All the boys helped us down to Toby and Hanna's cars. Noel put Emily in with Spencer and Toby, making sure to wrap a blanket around her tightly and buckle her in. Toby got into the driver's seat and kicked on the heat, Spencer sliding in next to him.

Before Noel shut the door he touched Emily's hand gently. "Give me a call so I know you're alright."

His voice was shaky and he was shivering uncontrollably now, his wet hair getting stuck on his forehead. Emily just gave him a weak smile as he shut the door, jogging up to his house to find some warmth.

Caleb, Hanna, Jason and I got into Hanna's mom's car. Caleb helped Hanna into the passenger's seat, taking the keys from her purse, knowing she was in no condition to drive.

Jason slid me out of his arms and put me into the back seat. Grabbing a large, wool blanket from the trunk and wrapping it around me. He grabbed another one and did the same thing to Hanna as Caleb turned up the heat to full blast.

I watched as Jason jogged to the other side of the car and slammed the door, sliding in next to me. His body was shaking just as bad as mine and his clothes clung to his body like they were vacuum sealed, hanging in random places.

Caleb started to drive off, following Toby back out of the woods and onto the main roads of Rosewood. It was going to take a good bit of time to get back to town from Noel's house out in the country. I could see that his yard was still a complete mess, but the lights in his house flickered off, not worrying about that aspect of his day tonight.

I looked over to Jason who was staring out the window, arms crossed over his chest in an attempt to keep some of his internal body heat. He was shaking to the point where I could hear his teeth chattering from where I was sitting. I unbuckled my seat belt and unwrapped myself from the blanket, sliding over closer to where Jason was resting on the soaking wet leather seat. I touched his rigid arm and he jumped in surprise, but I ignored it. I flung the blanket over to him, making sure there was enough for the both of us.

I looked up into his eyes to see that he wanted to argue, but he was just way too cold. I curled up next to him, bring my knees to my chest. I felt him move the blankets so that they were comfortably around his body and up to his chin. He slouched down in the seat to get closer to me, letting me use him as a pillow. He rested his head on top of mine, letting out a shaky sigh.

I could feel him shivering against my body so I just snuggled closer to him, giving him as much of the blanket as possible.

"T-Thank you." He said through chattering teeth.

All I did was place a warm kiss on his cheek, silently saying that we were going to get through his together. He curled into a small ball much like I had, reminding me of a cold, young child. He was so strong and brave on the outside, jumping in to save me like that, but then again he was still human. The cold was biting at his skin just like everyone else. He was scared and afraid that something terrible was going to happen, and he was responding to intense cold just like the rest of the human race would.

I barely noticed as Caleb pulled into Hanna's driveway, parking the car on the right side so his car wouldn't be blocked in.

"Come on, Han." He said softly, getting out of the car. "Let's get inside."

He walked over to Hanna's door and helped her out, trying to keep the blankets firmly around her as she stepped out into the cold.

I saw Jason step out on his side as well, making sure he left the blanket inside for me to have. I soon followed him and took his extended hand, making sure that I didn't stumble getting out of the Escalade's high seating.

My bare feet hit the cold pavement and it felt like they were burning. I walked cautiously over to Jason's truck, trying to make my feet touch the ground and least as possible. He helped me into the truck and shut the door, jogging over to his side and starting the car. The hot air hit my skin and it felt so refreshing, a comfortable shiver running down my spine. Jason drove off down several streets back onto his road, not bothering to drop me off at my house, not that I minded.

Always being the gentleman, he helped me out of the truck once we pulled into his driveway, parking the car so that my side was closer to the front door. He grabbed my hand and lead me to his front porch, a single light giving us guidance and vision.

He unlocked the door and let me inside. I practically ran in, embracing the warmed and welcome that accompanied Jason's home. It was so nice to be somewhere warm and safe, with a man who was going to protect me at all costs.

He placed a shaky hand on my shoulder and nudged me towards the stairs.

"You need to get out of those wet clothes." He said seriously.

I knew he was going to take me to his room, but nonetheless his hand never left my shoulder. He flipped on his light switch, bombarding my eyes with the sudden and intense brightness. He used the dimmer to dull the light, allowing my eyes time to adjust.

I still had the blanket wrapped around my body as he went over to his dresser and dug out some clothes. His wet figure was still dripping water all over his nice carpet, but he didn't seemed to be bothered by it one bit.

"Here." He said, clothes in hand. "These are going to be big on you, but they are the warmest things I have."

I didn't want to drop the blanket, not ready to get rid of its warmth, but I knew I had to change into some dry clothes. I let go of the blanket, letting it fall into an unceremonious heap on the floor.

I finally took a good look at myself. My once nice, silky black dress was sticking to my body in random places, stained with mud and a rip was on my left side. My feet and legs were incredibly cut up, scabs and bruises covering almost every inch and my arms were no better. I was almost positive my hair was a ratty mess, but I didn't even care to look.

I reached out my shivering hand to grab a pair of sweatpants and sweatshirt that Jason had given me. I started to walk toward him bathroom but my legs seemed to be incredibly heavy. I kept stumbling on my way to the door, and it got to a point where Jason stopped me.

"Do you need any help?" He asked sincerely, looking me up and down, checking for any severe injuries.

I wanted to say no, but I knew it was no use. I nodded solemnly as he lead me over to the bed, letting me sit down gently. He bent down over me, looking into my deep brown eyes with his stunning blue ones.

"Are you sure you want me to help you…?" He asked hesitantly. I nodded. "I'm going to take your dress off, okay?"

Again, I only nodded, not really caring that he was going to see me in just my undergarments. I felt him tug on the bottom of my dress and try to lift it over my head. The cold water was causing it to stick to my body, making it very difficult for Jason to maneuver over my small frame. He had to pull on it in several different locations to get it off, but finally, he succeeded, tossing my dress over on the floor in a wet pile.

I saw him trail his eyes up and down my half naked form, taking in a deep breath, not wanting to show he was looking at me. It was strange because, in normal situations like this, I would feel totally self-conscious about how I looked. But watching Jason in front of me, look at me up and down, I felt happy, knowing that he seemed pleased.

"Like what you see?" I teased, barely able to make my voice come out.

He barely chuckled and closed his eyes, taking in another deep breath. I looked down to see I was in a small, black Victoria's Secret bra and panties set. I knew it was one of my better outfits.

He shut his eyes tighter. "Yes… yes I do. And if you don't change quickly and put on some clothes, you're going to _see_ how excited I actually am."

His tone of voice caused me to laugh, but I obeyed. I saw him turn around, giving me the privacy to change since I couldn't force my muscles to make it to the bathroom. I unclipped my bra and slid of my panties, tossing them over with my dress. I slid on Jason's large sweatpants and oversized Rosewood Varsity Soccer sweatshirt, relieved that I had fresh clothes to wear.

I looked back up to Jason's back to see that he was still shaking, obviously still cold in his wet clothes.

"Okay. You're safe." I said, sliding under his covers to get extra warm.

He turned around and gave me the smallest of smiles before turning back to his dresser and pulling out fresh clothes for himself. He too pulled out sweatpants and a sweatshirt, only he grabbed a fresh pair of boxers.

I watched as he tugged off his shirt, not caring that I was eyeing him down like a piece of meat. His tone muscles were still gleaming from the left over water, shining in the light. It made him look even more glorious than I thought was possible.

He saw my gaze and smirked. "Like what you see?" He mimicked, tossing his shirt on the floor.

"Maybe."

He chuckled and twisted his hand at me, signaling me to turn around. I pursed my lips in a teasing manor, but I respected his privacy and didn't peak as he changed out of his clothes.

I felt the bed shift down next to me, and I figured Jason was done changing. He was bundled up in his sweats and curled under the blankets, bringing them up around his chin. I instinctively moved closer to him, wanting to feel his body heat against mine. His arm snaked its way around my waist and he tucked his hand under my stomach, completely wrapping me in his grasp.

I felt my eyes becoming heavier, but I looked up into Jason's eyes one last time. I could tell his were beginning to fall too, one drooping lower than the other. His hair was still messy and wet so I moved my hand and pushed it out of his eyes, giving me a better look at his stunning features.

I internally smiled when he didn't flinch when my skin made contact with his.

I brushed my hand over his forehead, rubbing his temples lightly. I felt his thumb circling under my sweatshirt on the side of my stomach, rhythmically soothing my body into sleep mode.

I tilted my head up just enough so that my lips brushed his, giving him the gentlest of kisses. He soon craved more and deepened it, showing me all the feelings he had felt today.

He pulled away and looked at me, his eyes soft but serious.

"Please…" He whispered, pausing in emotion. "Please don't scare me like that ever again…"

It was odd to hear Jason's once deep, demanding voice start to beg, filled with fear and anguish. I kissed the bottom of his chin and looked into his deep blue eyes.

"I won't…"

He pulled me closer to him as soon as I finished my sentence, kissing me passionately on the lips. He held me there with him, breathing onto my skin and rubbing his lips against mine, taking in my warmth as I was doing the same with him.

He gave me some butterfly kisses on my lips and then a few on my head.

"I'm going to sleep so well with you next to me…" He admitted, wrapping his legs around mine.

I snuggled in his warmth. "Thank you… for everything…" I breathed, drifting into a much needed sleep.

My eye lids closed and my mind drifted off into a dreamless sleep, my body recuperating after a long and dangerous day of activity. Jason rubbed my back and kissed my head once more, resting his chin on the top of my head and closing his eyes.

"Anything for you, Aria…"

**Ohhhh is that what you thought was going to happen?(;**

**Tell me your thoughts in a review!**

**-Cheyenne**


	16. Chapter 16

**I have made the worst sin on Fanfiction... I didn't update at my normal time! It's been so long since I have posted, but I hope you all forgive me!**

**Special thanks to CrazyLittleLiar, Friend to All, Jenn23, AnisaJoseph, cristinaheartowen, mariabrieva, jnelly21, jariafan15, NUNUBAYBE, Jaria2.0, GreenEyedBlondie07, Charlotte, (unknown guest), anakinloveer, (unknown guest), Izzybear09, (unknown guest), Siretha, Stelenton2, Desiqtie, HannahJenna, (unknown guest), and LittleMissBlue93!**

**Everyone is so wonderful for keeping up and supporting this story! Hope you all enjoy chapter 16!**

**-Cheyenne**

I could feel my eyes begin to flutter as the morning sun peered into the room through a little crack in the curtain. The outside light was so much brighter than the pitch black room that my eyes couldn't even begin to adjust, so I just rolled over lazily onto the other side of the bed and let out a tired groan.

Wait… the other side of the bed?

I finally popped my eyes open scanned the room. Like I was originally worried about, there was no one else in the room but me, myself and I. I rubbed the sleepys out of my eyes, hoping that somehow Jason would appear out of thin air. But of course, that was unrealistic.

I tugged the tangled covers off of my lower torso and pulled my legs over the side of his bed, rubbing my hands in my hair to get rid of the bed head. I could see just enough by the light in the window that our wet clothes and towels from last night were now missing, only a random sweatshirt left in their place.

I wiggled my toes onto the nice, soft carpet, giving Alison's picture on Jason's night stand a good look. Her hair was done perfectly as always, her stunning outfit flowing in the breeze, and her flawless complexion seemed to be shining in the summer sunlight. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle, thinking about how horrible I must look after a long night compared to her.

The door to his room was already jarred open so I could see down the hall and the top of the stairs. Childishly, I peeked my head out first before stepping out, looking around for any intruders which was a force of habit that I have been doing since this whole 'A' mess started.

I stepped down the stairs slowly, looking at each and every picture that lined the old DiLaurentis home. There were several of the kids from past vacations and trips, smiling and trotting down the shorelines of beaches. There were a few family photographs professionally done, and a collage of each sibling's school pictures leading up to their graduation.

I sighed when I noticed how Ali's stopped at freshmen year…

I traced the outline of Alison's perfect smile with my pointer finger, hoping to feel her presence through the frame. All I felt was the cold glass and dust.

Sighing once more with a small frown, I finished my walk down the stairs and peered into the kitchen. The overwhelming smell of breakfast foods filled my nostrils, forcing me to breath in deep and let the homely smell wash over me. I smiled when I took a longing look into the nicely furnished kitchen.

Jason was calmly standing over the stove top with a pair of George Foreman tongs gripped tightly in his fingertips. He was flipping over several pieces of bacon which were sizzling loudly over the intense heat. There seemed to be a small pan next to the bacon, which I assumed were some eggs, as well as the toaster resting over the granite countertop, a soft clicking escaping its inner timer.

Jason's hair was disheveled, sticking up in random places which gave him a stunning bed head type of look. He wore no shirt, making the light bulb go off in my head that he must have taken it off in the middle of the night and discarded it on the floor. His sweatpants were the same from last night, hanging snuggly on his hips, just enough that I could seem the top of his red plaid boxers.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his simplicity. I thanked God that he was too focused on breakfast to see me gazing at his marvelous frame.

"Do you and Toby have a phobia of shirts or something?" I finally teased, catching him off guard.

I leaned against the threshold of the kitchen with my arms crossed over my chest and smirked as Jason slightly jumped with surprise. He turned his body in my direction and I noticed his chest rise and fall quickly, reassuring my thought that I gave him a small startle.

He let out a deep breath and smiled, trying to hid his tiny fear, but I could tell his cheeks were starting to turn the slightest shade of pink. I smiled sweetly and so did he.

Jason shrugged. "I got hot in the middle of the night, and working over the hot stove wasn't helping much either."

I nodded and made my way over to the island in the middle of the kitchen, taking a seat on one of the stools so I was closer to my newly made boyfriend. I couldn't help but blush at the thought, feeling like a preteen girl who just acquired her first boy crush.

I put my head in my hand, leaning onto the counter for leverage as I watched him flip the bacon, stirring the eggs with his other hand.

"My mom told me it was never a good idea to cook without a shirt on." I said smirking.

Jason tossed down the tongs dramatically and turned his body around to face me. His piercing blue orbs were locked with mine as his leaned over the counter, much like how I was sitting. His face was inches from mine in a temping position, but I tried to keep my cool.

"I may not cook that much, but I think I'll survive."

He sent me a playful wink and whipped back around continuing his meal. The sunlight was gleaming through the open curtains on the kitchen, giving the creases between his muscles a little more definition. The back of his shoulder blades looked the most amazing, his toned muscles practically teasing me. Had I never really noticed his exquisite form before?

"Ouch!" Jason, suddenly yelled, snapping me out of my naughty thoughts.

I saw him jump back and raise his hands up in the air before forcefully throwing them back down at his sides. He leaned away from the pan and I could tell he was scowling.

"That fucking thing hurts!" He pointed his tongs toward the skillet, eyeing the food with caution. I chuckled and walked up behind him, running my tempted fingers up and down his back.

"Well," I started, squeezing his shoulder. "That's what you get for making juicy breakfast foods without a shirt on."

He didn't look at me as I walked towards the living room, not trying to hide the fact that I was laughing.

"I'm going to overcook you…" He mumbled to the pan, flipping the piece of bacon over aggressively.

I just rolled my eyes and plopped down on his overly comfy sofa. I turned on the TV to find an episode of Ridiculousness with Rob Dyrdek. I smiled wickedly as I curled up into a comfortable ball on his couch, bringing my knees closer to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I watched and laughed as Jason clacked and yelled in the kitchen, saying that the bacon was spiting him because I jinxed his food. He eventually cooked the food to perfection and brought us out each a plate, sitting his tired body down next to me with a grunt.

The food tasting absolutely perfect, my mouth watering with every single bite I took. Jason knew I was a vegetarian, so he didn't bother putting any bacon on my plate, but gave me an extra piece of toast and more eggs instead. I found myself gravitating toward him without even trying, but he welcomed me with open arms once he finished eating, placing his plate down on the coffee table.

I smiled and gently kissed his cheek. "I didn't know you could cook." I said, making sure to show my surprise.

He smiled. "Like I said… there's a lot you don't know about me."

I could tell by his challenging tone that he wanted to start up one of our usually interesting conversations. I humored him my turning my body so that I was completely facing him, gazing into his soft baby blue eyes.

I smacked his knee playfully. "Okay then, what else don't I know?"

He smirked and rolled his head back, trying to think of a good example. His arm was on the back of the couch where I was sitting, keeping me close to him at all times.

"Well, one time in high school when you all were sleeping over here with Alison, I took something from all of your bags and put it in the freezer."

"That was you!?" I yelled, hitting him in the chest. All Jason did was laugh and nod his head. "What did you do that for!?"

He kept chuckling for a few more moments, trying to regain his composer. "You guys were always messing me with too if I remember correctly!" He pleaded, looking me in the eyes. "The week before you guys filled my gym bag with disgusting feminine care products!"

I couldn't help but bring my hand to my mouth, trying to prevent me from laughing. I had completely forgotten about that day at school, and Jason's hysterical reaction afterwards…

_Emily, Spencer, Hanna and I were spending the night at Alison's house for our weekly sleepover. Normally, Mrs. DiLaurentis wouldn't let us stay overnight on a school might, but she had gone out with her husband and ended up getting a little tipsy, giving Ali the perfect opportunity to win over her vulnerable mother._

"_What about this one?" Hanna asked, pointing to a new sun dress in Vogue._

_Everyone was looking in magazines, trying to find the most up-to-date spring fashions to look extra glamorous when the weather was to become warmer. Spencer was sitting on the bed with Alison, looking over at Hanna to get a better look at the dress. Emily and I were sitting in bean-bag chairs next to them, lazily flipping through pages, not really interesting in new styles._

"_I'm boooored." Ali groan, flopping back onto her cotton pillows. "Let's do something fun."_

"_Like what?" Emily asked, always curious._

_Alison had this devious smirk plastered on the corners of her bow-shaped lips, her lip gloss shining in the lamp light. He gestured without her hands for us to come closer, and of course we obeyed, just like everything else Alison told us to do._

"_I think it's about time we played a prank on Jason." She said, pointing over her shoulder to the wall with connected with Jason's room._

"_Why!?" I whispered loudly, not feeling comfortable messing with her drunken older brother._

_She sent me a small glare. "Because Aria, it's about time we do something exciting, and nothings better than seeing Jason's face when he gets messed with. Trust me."_

_All of us looked at each other skeptically, not feeling one hundred percent comfortable with her idea. Emily bleakly nodded, always the first to agree with whatever Alison said. As if on cue, we all began to sigh and nod, giving in to her judgmental gaze. _

"_Great!" Ali cheered, clapping her hands together. "Here's the plan…"_

* * *

_Ten minutes later, Hanna snuck down the stairs and grabbed Jason's gym bag from the base of the stairs, hastily hustling back up and slamming the door with angst behind her. We all giggled and snickered as we replaced his bag with scented, super tampons and pours two bottles of Midol on top. Alison hid his clothes under her bed and zipped up his bag, lifting it up and down in the air several times._

"_Damn…" She began. "Who knew tampons could be so heavy._

"_That's because Jason's been so moody lately." Spencer joked childishly._

_We all laughed, thinking it was the funniest thing back in our early high school lives. I was in charge of creeping back down to the base of the stairs and putting Jason's bag back. We were all so lucky that he was too busy blasting his heavy metal music in his room to even gets a sense of the world around him._

"_Now we just wait and watch." Ali sneered, tucking herself into bed. _

_We soon were all fast asleep, reading and waiting for the event to unfold tomorrow morning..._

* * *

"_HAHAHA!"_

_Our eyes popped open with fright as the booming sound of wicked laugher filled the house. Alison shot up in her bed and had this dazzling yet devious smirk on her face, lighting up the room._

"_Let's go see our masterpiece." She said, jumping out of her blankets._

_We all raced down the stairs, ready to see exactly what had happened. The laughter got louder and louder with each step we took, and our pulses seemed to be going through the roof. I was trailing behind the others when we got down stairs, but I could still see everything clearly._

_Ian Thomas, Jason's best friend, was doubled over in fits of laughter, tears streaming down his face. His mouth was wide open and in this huge smile as he hunched over clutching his stomach, most likely from laughing so forcefully. His shaggy brown hair was looking perfect and his lacrosse t-shirt was fitting snug to his muscles._

"_Dude shut up!" _

_Jason was yelling at his best friend with his face bright red. His hair was messy and he was wearing his soccer uniform for the game he was supposed to play later in the day. He was kneeling over the ground trying to pick up all of the embarrassing feminine items off the floor. Apparently, Ian was picking him up to go to school and as Jason lifted his bag, the corner got caught on the stairwell and ripped open, spilling out all its contents._

_Ian could not stop laughing but I could see that Jason was just getting madder and madder with each passing second. Everyone else seemed to be laughing and watching on, except for myself who had to force the sounds out. _

"_Looks like someone's needs a chill pill." Alison finally said, strutting down the stairs in her satin, hot pink pajama pants._

"_Good job, Ali!" Ian yelled, raising his hand up for a high five. _

_Alison blandly returned it as he watched Jason kick his bag across the room in frustration, making an even bigger mess and knocking over a potted plant. _

_Alison rolled her eyes. "Mom's going to make you clean that up."_

_Her condescending tone made me feel like this wasn't the first time she had caused her brother to get angry. I watched as Jason stalked over to her sister, bending himself down so that his angry red face was eye level with hers. His fists were clenched at his sides, making him look even more terrifying. _

"_You need to knock this shit of Alison!" He yelled, spit almost flying out of his mouth. "You and the power puff girls need to keep your grimy hands off of my stuff! Do you hear me!?"He pointed at all of us standing on the stairs, and I looked down to avoid eye contact. _

_Alison looked unimpressed as he inspected her nails, not the least bit worried about Jason's temper._

"_Whatever, Jase." She said nonchalantly, flicking her wrist and walk away. "Just know that I'm not cleaning up your messes."_

_Ali looked over into the living room were Jason had knocked over his bag before sliding past us on the stairs, making her way back into her room. Everyone began to follow and Jason stormed out of his house, cursing and throwing his backpack forcefully over his shoulders. __I wouldn't admit this to anyone, but I was worried about what Jason might do. I had never seen him so mad before, and I couldn't take my eyes off the door where he just disappeared through._

_Ian must have sensed my worry and shrugged his shoulders, grabbing his own bag from the base of the stairs where my feet were._

"_He'll get over it." He said, sending me a small smile._

_I didn't realize it at the time, but this would be the first and last time I would ever speak with Ian Thomas. I watched as he followed Jason out the door, escaping my eyes forever._

_I looked back over to the mess in the living room. I glanced up at Ali's bedroom door to make sure no one was looking. Stepping onto the cold kitchen floors, I grabbed a pen and sticky note from the counter and scribbled a quick and simple, "I'm sorry" before stuffing it in Jason's gym bag._

"I don't know who wrote that note." Jason said, snapping me out of the memory. "But either way you all got what was coming to you. I made sure your bras were completely frozen so you would be screwed the next morning."

He chuckled as I let out a sudden shiver, reliving the intense cold I felt the next day at school as the ice crystals on my bra seeped deep into my skin. It was probably the worst experience I've had at school because eventually, the ice began to melt and made large, round spots on my shirt.

"I clearly remember everyone laughing at me that day…" I said, shuddering at the horrific moment. "Even after I tried to be nice and apologize…"

I made a 'tsk' sound with my tongue and watched as his eyes got wide. Jason let out a loud few laughs and pulled me in tight for a bear hug. He squeezed my shoulders and I could feel his heartbeat in my ear. It had an odd rhythm, changing several times between face and slow. Yet, it was extremely calming as I inhaled his scent of cinnamon and Axe body spray.

"I should have known it was you…" He laughed, rubbing my shoulders and kissing my head. "You were always the one who felt the worst… you and Em."

I was weird to here Jason talk about myself and the other girls like he had known us forever. Sure, I knew him about as long as I knew Alison, but we never really talked much. He was just the best friend's older brother down the hall, nothing too special about him besides him incredibly good looks. I never really realized that he paid that much attention to how we all acted and felt.

I could help but smile as his warmth surrounded me. Even though he may not have been physically with me the whole time, I felt the butterflies in my heart begin to flutter, thinking about how he paid attention to us when we were younger.

_Knock Knock Knock_

He almost instantly pulled away from me slightly, causing me to frown and whimper. I looked up into his eyes to see that his brow was raised, almost looking hesitant to go to the door and see who it was. He kept his arms securely on my shoulders, never breaking his grip on my small frame.

I gave him the questioning look, wondering why he was looking so weirded out.

"What's wrong?" I asked, looking into his puzzled eyes.

He never looked at me as he spoke. "You don't realize this, Aria, but I don't really get a lot of visitors…"

He hesitantly got up from his spot on the couch and walked to the door. I quickly followed him and stayed a good foot or two away from him, making sure not to invade his personal space but still be able to see who was at the door. The clock read eleven o'clock, so it wasn't an unruly hour for someone to stop by.

Jason slowly pulled open the door to reveal a man with his hands in his pockets. I groaned at the thought of seeing his face.

Detective Wilden was standing at the door in his crisp, gray suit, his hands stuffed in his matching dress pants. His arms were strong and masculine, and his jacket was pulled back in such a way that you could see his gun holster on his right side, looking quite threatening. His hair was slicked back in streaks where his comb brushed through, and he had a very serious look on his face.

His blue eyes looked from Jason and then locked onto me, a smirk beginning to play on his lips.

"I knew I would find you here…"

**Ohhhh what does Wilden want? Sorry this chapter was a little tedious after a long what, but it builds up to a big reveal!**

**Review and comment!**

**-Cheyenne**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 is up and running! I hope you guys will enjoy this one!**

**Special thanks to the lovely Siretha, mariabrieva, texasforever23, Friend to All, joy, Jenn23, (unknown guest), jariafan15, Jasmine, CrazyLittleLiar, houseofnightfan1, jaria2.0, and (unknown guest)! I know some of you don't have accounts but feel free to put a first name. You guys deserve as much credit as I do for this story because you're the reason I keep writing!**

**-Cheyenne**

The temperature in the room seemed to intensify with each passing second, the sweat on my brow beginning to form. The sweatpants and hoodie that were loosely hanging from my body provided no escape from the heat, and it seemed that Detective Wilden was scorching me with his eyes.

He was almost completely ignoring Jason's presence at the door, keeping his only focus on me. Even though I was wrapped in warm clothes and partially behind a very intimidating man, I still felt vulnerable. It was one of Wilden's detective powers to read people's emotions, so when I swallowed with nervousness, he couldn't help but smirk.

"Can I help you with something?" Jason asked rudely, his voice getting deeper than usual to appear more threatening.

I saw Wilden's smirk completely fade away into oblivion as he locked eyes with Jason. I was actually a very intense scene to watch because both men were similar in size, trying to one up the other. Both men were around six feet, muscles built all over their bodies, blond hair and blue eyes radiating off their faces, and both looking incredibly intimidating.

Keeping his tough cop act up, Wilden never broke eye contact. "Actaully, no, you can't help with anything Mr. DiLaurentis." He flicked his head in my direction. "…But she can."

Internally, I knew he had come to Jason's house in an attempt at finding me. Spencer, Emily, Hanna and I always seemed to be the targets of Wilden's sneaky police work, Hanna usually getting the grunt of it.

I looked back into Wilden's eyes to see that he wasn't smirking anymore, and that he didn't necessarily look too thrilled to be here, standing in a DiLaurentis doorway waiting to talk to a teenage highschooler.

"W-What can I help you with?" I stuttered, trying to swallow my fears.

Despite my attempt at seeing with Wilden wanted, Jason never budged from his spot between him and me. The detective looked like he was about to step into to talk to me, but Jason wasn't going to have him step one foot in his house.

Wilden made a small eye roll and crossed his arms. "There has been new information on the Maya St. Germain murder case, as well as some follow-up questions I need to ask Ms. Montgomery."

His voice was calm and official, making him seem less threatening. I had almost completely forgotten about Maya's recent death. Not in the sense that I didn't care about her, but more as in the police never questioned us the night it happened like they usually do.

"Now…" Wilden continued, looking at Jason. "We can either do this here, or at the station. Personally, I had hoped on making your friend here more comfortable, but if you don't move in the next ten seconds, I can make this a lot more complicated."

I noticed that Jason's nostrils flared like he was getting angry, a habit I knew he did from past experiences. His body tensed in the slightest, but he never stopped glaring at Wilden as he moved out of the way.

Detective Wilden entered with a smirk curling to his lips, basking in his victory. The tough cop act worked on practically anyone, and he used that to his advantage. Wilden looked around the living room, becoming more and more snoopy. He picked up a family photo off the counter, one that included Alison, and studied it.

Seeming unimpressed, he put it down. "Is there any place we could talk… privately?" His tone was serious and demanding.

Jason only snarled and led us into the parlor where there was a large, angled couch wrapping around the middle. A lazy boy recliner was placed off to the side and a wooden coffee table which looked like it was made in the early fifties was place in the center of the seats. A flat screen TV was mounted on the wall which plants on either side. It was a quiet and serene room, only used for special occasions.

I turned around and looked at Jason, who was standing idling in the door way. His one fist was clenched as his side and his face looked rock hard like stone. I tried to send him a calming smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace.

Wilden looked back at him as well before he took a seat on the soft couch, running his fingers over the short-fuzzed material.

"If you'll excuse us." He said, basically kicking Jason out of his own room.

Not breaking his glare, Jason shut the doors forcefully, shaking the picture frames on the walls and shelves.

The room stayed silent for a few moments, Wilden nor I wanting to break the awkward silence. I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't threatened by his presence here in Jason's house, which I had come to hold as a safe haven.

He sat down onto the recliner with a loud sigh, as if his joints hurt like an old man's. He gestured for me to sit across from in on the sofa, never speaking a word.

I walked over with hesitation, not wanting to speak about Maya in fear of becoming emotional. Just yesterday it seemed like life could be getting back to normal, little by little. But as always, 'A' was out to ruin everything and it seemed like Wilden was in on it too. Hanna put Wilden at the top of her Creeper List she made last year.

I watched as he pulled out his blackberry, sending a quick text to someone I could only imaging, before sliding it back in his pocket. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, interlocking his fingers.

"You know why I'm here." He said softly but sternly.

I nodded. "To talk about Maya's death."

I could hardly say the last word, fearing that if I spoke it out loud, it might actually be true and this wasn't all a dream. Her stunning, mocha face popped in the front of my head, giving me this sense of longing that I hadn't felt since Alison's death. I looked down at the ground to hide my sorrow-filled face, not wanting Wilden to see me upset. I was almost positive he would use that against me and somehow turn these simple questions into an interrogation.

He cleared his throat. "Yes. As you know, Ms. St. Germain's body was found outside the Fields' household late Sunday night. We need to ask you some follow up questions… similar with Alison's case."

It sounded awkward in my ears to hear Wilden refer to Alison by her first name, like they were somehow friends in a past life. I closed my eyes and opened them slowly, figuring that he has just been working on the case too long and 'DiLaurentis' has too many syllables to pronounce all the time.

I squirmed in my seat. "What do you need to know?" My voice was soft.

"How well did you know the victim?"

I flinched at the harshness of the word victim. It made her seem defenseless and weak, the total opposite of what Maya really was. She was strong willed and opinionated, even if she wasn't with us anymore.

Wilden must have sensed my discomfort, but kept his facial features stern and poised, waiting for me to regain my thoughts.

"I met her through Emily…" I began, playing with my fingernails. "They had bonded really quickly and it was only a matter of time before we all became friends..."

"Because everything you girls do is together?" His question came out as more of a statement, drilling his eyes into mine.

All I could do was nod, not up for the arguments and fights with Wilden. Even though we were great at keeping secrets from the detectives, he was always the one to come out on top, leaving us distraught and fearful.

He flipped through is handheld notebook and scribbled down some notes, looking very official with his ballpoint pen and pad, bearing the Rosewood Police Department emblem on them. His pants were raised in the slightest to reveal his navy blue dress socks, which seemed to be sliding down his right ankle.

"Did you hear from Ms. St. Germain at all during her disappearance?" He continued, snapping me out of my trance.

"No."

"Do you know if they was anyone who wanted to hurt her?"

_Of course I do…'A.' _I thought to myself. My mouth opened and closed a couple of times, wanted to confess to the notes and threats we have all been receiving from 'A.' But we all knew Wilden would never believe us. He would just say that Mona is locked up in Radley, so all these threats are just from stupid kids playing pranks.

I shut my mouth and looked at the ground once more, not even bothering to answer, afraid he might be able to sense that I'm lying.

I heard him sigh and the recliner let out a loud squeak as he repositioned himself, leaning forward to get a better look at me.

"You know you have to tell me everything you know… right?" His voice was surprisingly soft, but he still managed to keep himself official. "Do you know anyone who wanted to hurt Maya?"

His repeated question made me feel like a small child, afraid of being scolded but an authority figure. I curled up my legs and brought them to my chest, morphing my body into a small ball on the couch. My arms snaked around my legs and held them close. I could feel the tears in my eyes begin to form, not able to hide my sadness about the death of a close friend. I inadvertently sniffled, probably giving Wilden the satisfaction in knowing that he was getting to me. I could practically feel his vindictive smile seeping into my skin, chilling me to the core.

I heard his take a small intake of air like he was about to say something, but then he stopped right before he was about to speak. I hesitantly looked up at him to see that his eyes were wide and his mouth was slightly parted.

"What the-" He said loudly, almost yelling.

Within that same instant, I saw him launch over to me and kneel down at the base of the couch, grabbing my leg forcefully with his hand. I tried to lurch away, completely terrified that he was touching me, but his grip was so strong that it knew that was no chance to fight back.

"Get off me!" I yelled, about to grab his arm to yank him away from me.

He didn't ease his grip as he pushed the end of my pant leg up to about the height of my knee.

"Aria… what the hell happened to you…?"

His voice was firm, but it sounded like it was hard for him to voice out the words. I felt his fingers brush across the skin of my lower leg and I couldn't help but wince. It felt like he had just dragged a small razor across my leg and it didn't know why. Finally, I looked down and almost gasped.

My entire lower leg was almost unrecognizable. It was covered in thin red scratches and scrapes, bruises seemed to be the only skin color I had, and there was one deeper laceration on the side of my ankle. It was like I knew this was my leg, but it didn't feel like it was real. It felt like I was staring at someone else's limb, too in shock to process.

Wilden seemed to be in the same state of mind, just gazing at the morphed leg that once was spotless. He kept rubbing his thumb over the bruises and cuts, twisting my leg just the slightest to see the bottom portion. It was almost taken aback by how gentle he was about handling my leg. I would have never guessed Detective Darren Wilden's touch would be so soft. I don't know what I was expecting, but scales and spikes seemed to be what popped into mind. His face was contorted in a way where he looked disgusted, like my battered leg repulsed him to no end.

He quickly changed his attention to my other leg and snatched that one in his hand as well, gently but quickly sliding my pant leg up to my knee. No surprise, that one was just as equally bruised as the last. Even though we both expected it to be the same, it still came as a shock to my system to see the limbs so jaded.

Wilden didn't quite know what to say as he ran his fingers over the trails of dried blood which coated my skin. His face kept changing from looks of disgust to looks of what seemed to be compassion. Not having ever seen that look on his features before, I personally thought it looked awkward.

"Who the hell did this to you?" He asked, eyes wide and looking at me.

I just kept staring at Wilden as he gently place my legs back down over the side of the couch, almost as if they might break if he dropped them to hard. I felt self-conscious with his eyes constantly on me, so I brought my legs up to my chest protectively, wrapping my arms around them to avoid his gaze.

He never moved back to his seat.

"Aria." My name sounded like a foreign language when he spoke. "You need to tell me who did this to you. I've seen that look on your face before and I know for a fact that you are hiding something."

I swallowed the lump that was in my throat. I knew there was no way in hell I was going to tell him that 'A' was back with a vengeance, but his sincere look did make me think twice about telling him.

It was so odd to see Wilden look so worried, like he was failing at his job to keep the town's people safe.

"I was at a party last night." I began, my voice soft and timid. "A group of us were sitting by the bonfire after everyone had left."

"Are you referring to Noel Kahn's back to school party?"

His voice was back to official and detective like, but he still remained crouched down on the floor. I raised my brow with curiosity, wondering how he knew about the extravaganza. I don't remember any police driving by or catching wind of the party.

I heard Wilden let out a deep chuckle, as if sensing my suspicion.

"Don't forget…" He said. "I've been to more than a few of those in the past, and not just to bust underage drinking."

I was about to question him about why he would have gone, but then I remembered that Wilden graduated the same year as Eric Kahn, Noel's brother. I had heard rumors that Wilden use to be a huge partier, but I never heard him admit it.

"And when you said a group of people, who were you referring to? Your friends?"

I nodded. "Hanna, Spencer, Emily and I… along with a few others."

I decided to keep the guys out of it. I knew if the police were to really investagate this, they might dig up some information on 'A', and that was not something the boys needed to be involved in. We already have enough stress resting on our shoulders. I'm sure Wilden would eventually know, but I just wanted to delay the inevitable.

Finally, Wilden went back to his seat on the recliner. He nodded his head as if telling me to continue.

"Around one o'clock, we heard someone in the trees. They threw a flash bomb to blind us. When we could see again, the man had an expensive portrait that belonged to Noel's family. The guys ran after him while we stayed behind." I paused, trying to remember everything. "Then, another person was behind us in the bushes. We started chasing him but he just lead us on a wild goose chase… We lost him at the dock. There was a boat on the far edge and we were going to look inside when the boards began to collapse… all of us fell in and almost froze until we were rescued…"

Wilden started scribbling notes down on his notepad, a scratching sound echoing in the wide room.

"Who were the boys that were with you?" He asked, ready to take more notes.

Of course, I didn't want to tell him, but I knew there was no point in lying or trying to hide it. I knew that look on the detective's face and he was not backing down from this conversation.

"Caleb Rivers, Noel Kahn, Toby Cavanaugh and Jason."

"…Jason as in, Jason DiLaurentis?" Wilden questioned, looking puzzled. "Why was he at a high school party?"

I blushed slightly. "He was um… my date…"

I heard Wilden scoff and snicker, scribbling the guys' names down on his paper. His eyes were averted from mine but I could still tell he was judging my decisions. Sure, there was a good age difference between Jason and I, but that doesn't mean he was a huge creep or anything.

"He saved my life." I said with a cracked voice.

I could feel myself getting emotional, thinking back to when I had just awaken from my unconscious state to see Jason watching over me like an angel. He looked so worried and concerned for my wellbeing, doing everything in his power to make me feel safe.

Wilden looked up and gave me a blank look. There seemed to be no emotion in his face; not happy, nor sad, nor angry. He just looked bear.

"Good." Was all his said; his tone flat.

I looked down at the ground and listened to him scribble. His phone suddenly beeped with a new message, but he ignored it.

"Shouldn't you get that?" I asked quietly.

"It can wait."

He closed his notepad and leaned over in my direction, closing off some of the gap between us. His face looked softer now, and maybe a little bit concerned, but I couldn't tell for sure.

"Off the record…" He began, folding his hands in his lap. "Does this have anything to do with Mona Vanderwaal's recent incarceration into Radley?"

I looked at him with an odd face, not quite sure how I felt about that question. Was he really going off the record, or was he going to be the usually sneaky and underhanded detective that we've all come to despise?

"I-I don't know…"

It was an honest answer, and even though he didn't seem happy with it, he could tell it was the truth.

He sighed, sliding his fingers over his short, dirty blond hair. For once in his life, Wilden looked distraught and in a mess. It was like he wasn't quite sure what to do, unable to piece together any clues in his cases or protect the innocent like his job title required.

"Aria…" He began softly. "I need you to realize something… and hear me out."

I squeezed my eyes shut, like I was trying to process what he was saying. His voice was so small and desperate, like he had been meaning to tell me something or ask a question that had been looming in his mind.

I opened my eyes slowly to see that his were pleading with hope, praying that I wouldn't give him lip like Hanna would, run scared like Emily, or call my mom in the room to set up a legal defense like Spencer. In the back of my head I was terrified, fearing that talking to Wilden was going to be a huge mistake. But then, there was this nagging voice in my heart telling me that I needed to hear him out.

I bleakly nodded and looked at the door where Jason was only a few feet away. I couldn't see through it or hear his presence, but I knew he was not far away. I instantly felt safer.

"He can't know." Wilden said seriously, looking at the door as well. "This has to stay between you and me."

His tone was so assertive, almost daring me to rat him out and see what would happen. I swallowed my nervousness and fear, but nodded nonetheless.

He sighed and looked at the ground between his knees before looking back up at me. I didn't know how I didn't see this earlier, but his eyes looked bloodshot, bags sagging underneath his eye lids like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks. His mouth was turned down in a serious frown and his suit seemed to have been wrinkled just the slightest, like he hadn't washed it since the last time they were worn.

I couldn't even imagine what he was about to say. Did he find new information on Maya? On Alison? Was there some new clue that he needed my help with? A million things ran through my head as I watched him open his mouth, preparing to speak.

"I don't have to look at my phone to know who texted me." He said cryptically.

I looked at him like he was insane. I was never one for riddles, and my head was already swarming with other thoughts to try to process his.

He let out a huff and air and reached in his pocket to pull out his phone. He didn't open it or read the message, but instead, he just rubbed his fingers over the plastic and played with it in his hands. His mind seemed to be racing just as much as I was, but his tension didn't ease mine.

"I know you've felt that way too, Aria." He said, keeping his eyes on his phone. "I finally know what it feels like to jump every time a twig snaps or a phone whistles. I know what it feels like to have this overwhelming sense that someone is watching you…"

My brain started to put the pieces together. Was this really happening? Was Wilden trying to tell me what I think he is? Is Wilden really-"

"I know 'A's back… and this time they're not just after you four."

My eyes got real wide and I felt my heart pounding through my chest. My pulse was racing and the room seemed to be getting extremely hot and claustrophobic. I wanted to slide my sweats up to give me some more air but I didn't want Wilden to look at my marks on my skin again.

I finally looked into his eyes to see that they were truthful. As much as Wilden hated the four of all and all the stupid mind games we played, he was not the one to make up foolish lies. He was not the type of person to take bullshit from anyone, including an anonymous stalker.

"Y-You've gotten…?" I couldn't even finish my sentence.

All he did was nod and look down at his phone. He eyed it like it was a bomb, afraid that if he were to open it everything we knew would explode into the public. But finally, he opened the message and I saw his eyes widen, before falling back down like he was scared of the words.

I couldn't tell, but he almost looked ashamed.

"What does it say?" I finally asked, leaning over the couch to try to see.

Instantly, Wilden snapped back and pulled the phone as far away from me as possible. His hand gripped the blackberry tight and his eyes pierced into mine, threatening me if I were to get near him.

"It's personal." Was all he said, cautiously sliding it back into his pocket.

I calmly sat back down and let my mind process everything. Not only was new 'A' back to their old tricks, but they wanted to take down everyone who had something to do with Alison. They had escalated to hurting us physically, going after Jason, and now they had moved onto the lead detective on her case.

I placed my palm to my forehead, trying to block out the pulsating pain.

"So… what do we do…?" I tried to keep my voice as calm as possible, but I knew Wilden could see right through it.

He leaned over and spoke softly. His voice was still form and authoritative, but in a strange way, I felt protected.

"I need you girls to tell me everything that you know about 'A.' That means all you girls need to start filling me in, whether you like it or not."

His seriousness was overpowering but I nodded. Ready to be done with this whole ordeal and get back to my normal life, much like it had been before I had met Ali freshman year.

Wilden stood up out of his seat, one of his knees cracking with protest as he began to walk. I soon followed suit. The pain in my legs seemed to be radiating to my stomach as I walked; the bruises and sores finally catching up to me.

Wilden opened the door and didn't bother to let me walk through first. I saw Jason leaning sitting on the stairs waiting for us to emerge, a hard look on his face. He caught my eye and stood up quickly, brushing his jeans down so they were in proper form against his legs. Apparently he had dressed in the time I was with Wilden.

Both men seemed to meet glances at the same time. Jason was on one of the steps so he finally looked bigger than Wilden. His eyes were piercing into the detectives, and it was like a showdown to see who would blink first.

I'm not going to lie… it was kind of hot.

Wilden cleared his throat and smirked, trying to make it seem like he one even though Jason never backed down.

"I'm sorry to ruin your afternoon Mr. DiLaurentis, but I'm afraid your girlfriend is going to have to come with me."

Jason gave him this incredulous look and then glanced over at me, trying to see if what he was saying was true or not. All I could do was send him a small nod. Jason sighed and slouched, knowing that I was forced to leave with a police officer.

Wilden gestured me out of the front door, but this time he let me walk through first, putting a barrier between Jason and I. It was a scary feeling knowing I wasn't going to have Jason by my side, but I prayed that everything would turn out for the better.

As I got into Wilden's beat up old cop car, the front seat I might add, I took one more look at Jason who was standing at the doorway with his arms crossed. He looked like the slightest bit angry but overwhelming disappointed. I hoped he wouldn't be mad when I saw him again.

I looked over at Wilden and glared. "I don't see why you have to be so nasty to people all the time." I spat, referring to Jason.

All he did was shrug. "We don't need him asking questions."

All in all I understood where Wilden was coming from, but it didn't calm my nerves about the way he spoke to people. He tried to make it seem like he was so high and mighty compared to everyone else. It was a quality he and Alison shared.

As we pulled into Spencer's driveway, ready to set up a group meeting, I realized I had gotten a text. Wilden didn't seem to notice, so I pulled out my phone and read it.

_Your clothes are still here. –Jason_

It was simple, but at least he wasn't sending me mean or upset messages.

_I know. That just means I have to come back(; -Aria_

I felt so scandalous sending those kinds of messages with a police officer sitting directly next to me. I tried to hide my blush and keep in my giggle, but I was almost positive Wilden had heard me and rolled his eyes.

_I'm holding you to that(; -Jason_

Well, if I wasn't beat red by now, I'm sure I would be right as Spencer opened her front door…

**Hope you liked it!** **Please review and comment!**

**-Cheyenne**


End file.
